Without Hatred
by Kubara
Summary: AU/OOC When the Kyūbi attacks Konoha he isn't sealed alone. A certain masked man gets sealed as well. How will this change the world of Naruto?
1. Prologue

"A contract seal? Damn you, I won't be denied!"

The blonde Hokage watched on as the masked man vanished in the same vortex he had used to teleport around. He peered around the clearing with his guard up. After several moments he decided the man was gone for the moment.

"Now to deal with the Kyūbi," he muttered, glancing back towards Konoha.

* * *

"We must hold him off until Minato arrives," Hiruzen shouted, rallying the surrounding ninja.

The old man glared up at the beast as it swatted away another group. He jumped aside to avoid the flying ninja before cracking the beast over the head with Enma. The Kyūbi snarled at him and opened its mouth to charge up a bijūdama.

_'Damn it, Minato, where are you? We can't survive one those!' _

Just as Kyūbi seemed ready to fire a voice was heard and a giant toad dropped on top of him, smashing him into the ground. With a growl the beast lifted his head to prepare to fire again.

"Keep him busy, Bunta, it's going to take me a moment to gather the chakra for this," the blonde on top of the toad's head muttered.

Again, just as the Kyūbi was about to fire it was smashed into the ground by the giant toad. Moments after the Kyūbi and the blonde Hokage vanished.

'_What? Where-,' _a bright explosion in the distance interrupted Hiruzen's train of thought.

"Over there!" With a shout the group took off after their missing Hokage.

* * *

Minato watched, tears streaming down his face, as the remaining half of Kyūbi was sealed away into his son. Just as he had finished the seal he saw a familiar masked man appear on the Kyūbi's head, no doubt to try to regain control of the beast.

'_Serves him right,' _he thought with grim satisfaction as he watched him sealed away as well. '_He killed Kushina.'_

The combined stress of childbirth and having the Kyūbi forcefully torn out of her had proven too much for even an Uzumaki.

'_At least she was able to see Naruto one last time,' _he looked down at the sleeping child and frowned as his hair turned black. '_Make me proud, son.'_'

With those last thoughts, the Fourth Hokage passed on from the world.

* * *

Hiruzen and the rest of the ninja arrived just in time to see the Kyūbi vanish and Minato fall.

"Spread out and secure the area!" He barked out.

The old man cautiously approached the fallen Hokage and child.

"So you must be little Naru-," he blinked at seeing the child's hair.

'_Black? Isn't this Naruto? What happened?' _The old man frowned.

An ANBU with the Inu mask approached the pair.

"Is that Sensei's son? Can I see-," he too blinked at the hair color.

As he cut off his sentence the child opened his eyes. His left eye was the same blue as Minato's, but his right...

"Sharingan!" The ANBU whispered in shock. "Sandaime, who is this child?"

The old man frowned upon seeing the eye. Luckily it faded into the traditional onyx of the Uchiha. '_This could cause problems.'_

"I don't know, Kakashi." He turned to the Inu-masked man. "I need you to go to where Kushina was giving birth. Find out what happened and report back to me and only me. Keep this a secret."

"Yes, sir." He replied before vanishing.

The old man quickly wrapped the child in his blanket making sure to cover his hair. Satisfied with his work he sent the loitering ninja back to the village to help with repairs. With a final look around the clearing he too traveled back to the village.

'_I have a feeling this is going to be a long night.'_

* * *

Hiruzen sat in a room at the head of a large table. He let his gaze roam over the other members sitting at the table. First, to the ninja councilors, then to the civilians. With a tired sigh he picked up the hat in front of him and placed it on his head.

"Very well, I'll take up the position again until we find a suitable replacement." His statement caused many to sigh in relief.

With that, the meeting was finished. The various members rushed out to carry out their tasks in restoring Konoha after the attack. The Third watched silently as the members all left the room leaving him alone with the child. It wasn't long before the Inu-masked ANBU returned.

"Please tell me you have good news, Kakashi," he told him without looking away from the child.

The grey haired cyclops removed his mask and ran his hand over his face with a sigh.

"Biwako and the other nurse were dead at the entrance. The rest... was destroyed," he replied. "I checked the hospital as well but the maternity ward didn't make it either. I'm sorry."

The old man gently rubbed the child's head. He spent several minutes just watching him sleep, tears streaming down his face. _'Biwako...'_

"I wonder if his father survived. Would he even want him now, knowing the burden he carries?" Kakashi asked with a frown.

'_An Uchiha in control of the Kyūbi? It was bad enough back when Madara was able to control it.' _Hiruzen frowned.

"We have no choice. The boy will be raised as an orphan," he said. "He'll need a name. One that honors their sacrifice. Menma, that's what we'll call him."

"I thought it was maelstrom rather than that ramen topping." Kakashi said with a strained smile.

"Eh, close enough," the Third replied with a shrug. "That will be all for now, you are dismissed."

The man saluted and vanished, leaving the Hokage and child alone.

'_You've been given a terrible burden, little Menma. I'll do what I can to help you and foster your Will of Fire. Hopefully it will be enough to free you from your burden and your Curse.'_

* * *

**A/N:**

This is my first attempt at writing, let alone fanfiction writing. Let me know what's good. Let me know what could use improvement. Aside from length, I mean. It is short but it is just the prologue.

I should also mention this is unbeta'd and self edited, so let me know if you catch any mistakes.


	2. Childhood and Darkness

**4 years later**

A young child with black hair and mismatched eyes sat on the ground. His clothes were filthy and worn almost to threads. It was late and he was on a road that wasn't used often. He hadn't seen anyone pass by in about an hour.

"Are you alright?" A voice asked him, nearly making him jump out of his skin.

He looked up to find a young woman kneeling down next to him. Her onyx eyes peered down at him curiously. Her hair looked like a curtain of black silk that fell to the middle of her back. She was dressed in the standard Jounin uniform with a katana strapped to her back.

Before he could respond to her his stomach rumbled loudly.

"Hungry?" He nodded to her question. "Come on, then. We can't have a child starve, can we?"

He followed along silently as she led him through several streets. Within minutes they were inside a small house. It was nothing fancy, but it was clean and had a comfortable feeling about it.

"Go ahead and have a seat," she told him, pointing him to a table.

He sat and watched her as she quickly made something to eat. Minutes later she placed a steaming bowl full of noodles in front of him. He stared at it curiously for a moment before looking up at her.

"It's ramen. You've had ramen before, right?" He shook his head.

"Really? You're named after it you know. Menma is a topping." She pointed to some bamboo shoots. "Those ones right there."

He frowned at this. "How do you know my name?"

"Everyone but the children of the village knows your name." She frowned. "I can't tell you why though, it's a secret. You'll find out one day, and when you do, I want you to remember - you're a hero."

"A hero?" He asked with a mouth full of noodles.

"Don't speak with your mouth full of food," she chided. "And yes, a hero."

He continued eating with a thoughtful look on his face. When he finally finished he placed his chopsticks down before looking back up at the woman.

"You mean like a ninja?" he asked quietly.

"Oh? What makes you think ninja are heroes?"

"Well... everyone says the Yondaime was a hero that saved the village. He was the Hokage, right? And the Hokage is the strongest ninja in the village, so he was a ninja that was a hero," he nodded satisfied with his explanation.

The woman stared at him until he started to squirm uncomfortably. "That's true, but you don't have to be a ninja to be a hero."

"But all the cool ones are!" The boy shouted at her.

"Does that mean you want to become a ninja?" She asked.

The boy faltered for a moment before puffing out his chest. "Yeah! I'll be the best ninja ever! And I'll be a hero!"

Again she watched him silently until he started to squirm awkwardly in his chair. "Not all ninja are heroes. It's a hard life and many turn out bad, but... I'm sure you'll grow up to be a fine ninja."

The boy grinned at her before blinking as though just noticing something. He stared at her clothing and the sword.

"You're a ninja! Can you train me?" He asked excitedly.

"I am, but my way isn't very heroic. I don't think you'd like to be a ninja like me," she told him.

"What do you mean? You helped me. You gave me food. You're a hero too!"

She smirked and stood, clearing the table as she did so. She quickly washed the dishes before returning and standing in front of the boy. "Come on, we should get you back to the orphanage before it gets too late. You can think about whether you really want me to train you or not on the way."

The walk to the orphanage was silent. The woman glanced down at him as they walked to find his face scrunched up in thought. _'I wonder which path he'll choose.'_

They stopped about a block away from the orphanage at a corner covered in a pool of shadow.

"There you go. Think about what you want, Menma. I'll be here tomorrow night at this time to find out your answer."

He looked up at her, nodded, and walked towards the orphanage. The path he walked bathed in the light of street lamps. He stopped and looked back once to find the woman walking away, the street she was walking on was shrouded in darkness.

* * *

The following evening had come. He'd spent all day thinking about it and was still having trouble deciding. She was a ninja and would train him, but, something about the what she said and the way she said it, scared him. He walked slowly out to the corner where she had left him the night before. Looking around he couldn't see anyone and began to think she wouldn't show up.

"Over here, Menma." A voice called out from the opposite corner.

He jogged over to the woman before she turned him around and pointed to the corner he was just at. The path back to the orphanage was lit up by street lamps, the street they had come down when leaving her house was dark.

The woman brushed past him and stood at the mouth of the path back to her apartment. "Make your choice," she commanded. "Do you return to what you know, or do you follow me into shadow?"

He stared at her for a moment before turning to look at the orphanage. It wasn't so bad there. He wasn't abused or anything, but they did ignore him. Ignored him and acted as though he didn't exist. It was familiar, but it was lonely. He then turned to look back at her and her darkened path. The unknown. It was dark and scary, but she didn't ignore him. She looked at him. Saw him. Helped him. As he hesitated she turned and began to walk away. With a final glance at the orphanage he made his choice.

He followed her into the shadows.

* * *

**2 years later**

Menma was, once again, sitting on the side of a road. His clothing was in far better shape and mostly clean this time, only having dirt and grime from training on him. This time, however, it was morning.

"Ugh... I wish she had taught me how to steal, or at least had more food in her cupboards before she left for that stupid mission," he groaned out before hauling himself up to his feet.

_'She's been gone... a month now? And her food lasted... ugh. I don't even want to know the last time I ate was.'_

He staggered along aimlessly while trying to think of ways to find food. Before he knew it he was lost. It didn't take long before the hunger became too much and he collapsed against some garbage cans, knocking them over in the process. The noise drew the attention of the people in the house as well as a child in the yard almost immediately.

The girl, curious, wandered over to investigate and found him sprawled out on the ground. The two stared blankly at each other until the boy's stomach growled.

"Were you... digging in the trash for food?" She asked.

"What? No! I fell!" He told her while waving his hands around.

"Sakura? What was that noise?" A voice called out from the house.

"Ah... um... a cat! A cat knocked over the garbage, that's all!" She shouted back. "Hey um... if you're hungry I can get you some food."

"Really? That would be great."

"Alright! I'll be right back." She told him before rushing off.

Menma pulled himself up off the ground and dusted himself off. Looking over at the house the girl had disappeared into made him a bit jealous. "Everyone has all these nice houses and I live in that dump." He huffed.

Shortly after he had decided to leave the orphanage the Third had found him and given him his own apartment in the poorer section of town. It was probably one of the worst places in the village, but at least it was a roof over his head.

Before long the pink-haired girl returned carrying some bread. "Sorry, this was all I could get." She told him while handing it over.

"That's fine, I'll find something else later." He replied before tearing into the food.

The girl just sat and stared at his face while he ate. He glanced up at her and noticed the look of a girl wanting to squeal and hug an animal on her face.

"What?" He asked her warily.

"You look like a raccoon." He chirped.

"Wha-what?! I do not!"

"Yes, you do. You've got whiskers, and black marks around your eyes, and one of your eyes is even black, just like a raccoon. All you need is fluffy ears." She sighed, seemingly imagining it.

"First off, they're not whiskers, just marks that look like whiskers! The black around my eyes is because my sensei always makes me train at night so I don't get enough sleep! And my eye... I don't know why it's black. Plus, I would look stupid with fuzzy ears!"

"Sensei?" She looked at him questioningly.

"That's right, I'm training to be a ninja!"

"What's it like?" She asked.

"Uhhh... it's hard. You have to train all the time and you're always tired. Well, I'm always tired, but that's because my sensei is... different. You also get dirty a lot. And beat up, but that's just until you're awesome, then the other people get beat up." He explained.

"Sakura! We're going to be late, hurry up!" The voice called from the house again.

"Ah, I have to go. Bye!" The pinkette said before rushing back towards the house.

He watched her run off while eating the bread she gave him. After finishing it off he glanced down at the knocked over trash cans. Raccoons and digging through trash for food, huh? He would have to remember that. So busy with his plotting of ways to con people out of stuff by acting like a small furry critter looking for food he forgot to pay attention to where he was.

"Ah! How am I supposed to find my way back there to repay her?" He slumped as he realized he was lost again. "Ah well, I'll just ask sensei about people with pink hair. It can't be that common."

* * *

**1 week later**

Menma was bored. Unfortunately his teacher still wasn't back yet. Fortunately he found the pink-haired girl at a park and could repay her for the food.

Unfortunately she was being bullied and was on the verge of tears.

"How's it feel carrying around something that HUGE? It must be tiring!" Bully 1 jeered.

"With a forehead that big you can probably see it all the way in Iwa!" Bully 2 said.

"Yeah! And if you angle it just right, you could reflect the sun to blind the Tsuchikage and start another war!" The final bully added.

That did it. She burst into tears as the three laughed and mocked her. It also caused Menma to snap. No one deserves to be picked on like that. With a roar he flew at the three bullies.

They were older and stronger, but he fought dirty. Throwing dirt in eyes, biting, kicking them in the groin. It didn't matter to him. Soon enough the three bullies ran off and Menma was left alone with relatively minor injuries and the now wide-eyed girl.

He turned to her and gave her a grin. "You should ignore jerks like that." He told her.

She stared at him with wide eyes before bringing her hands up to her cheeks and muttering something.

"Huh?"

"Squirrel. You look like a squirrel now."

Menma's eye twitched. "Are you going to compare me to small furry animals every time we meet? Ah whatever, I paid you back for the bread so we're even now, ok?" With that, and a wave, he walked off.

Unknown to either of them the whole thing had been seen by a blonde-haired girl. She wished she could have jumped in to help her, but knew she wouldn't stand a chance against the three older boys. She might not have been able to fight off the bullies, but she could certainly help now.  
She watched the boy who had helped the girl walk off before approaching her.

"Hi! I'm Ino, who are you?"

* * *

**A/N:**

Part 1 of most likely 2 before we catch up to the beginning of canon.

Remember to review. Tell me what is good and what needs to be improved.


	3. Childhood and Darkness 2

**2 years later**

Menma stretched as he finished his instant ramen and threw the cup away.

'_Ramen.' _He thought with a snort. '_I wish all food were as quick and easy to make as instant ramen. Not because I like it, but because of convenience. It's quick. I can buy it in bulk without people ignoring me.' _He snorted again. '_Probably because they think it'll stunt my growth or something. Assholes. And because people think it's some kind of blasphemy if I don't worship the food I'm named after. I swear the village is full of idiots.'_

He glanced up at the clock mid-mental rant.

"Tch, better get going, sensei hates it when I'm late."

He quickly left his apartment and headed towards his sensei's house.

For four years she had trained him. Already he had been trained for longer than the academy lasts, by the time he graduated he'd be far beyond his peers. So what if most of what she'd taught had only been theory and the like? Today she'd begin with the more practical applications. A year of that on top of what he already knew plus the academy? He'd blow them out of the water.

As he ran towards her house and passed a fan shaped icon he'd grown used to seeing he realized something.

'_I know we usually start late, but where the hell is everyone? Where are the random drunks stumbling home? It's too quiet.'_

He slowed down and began to scan his surroundings as he walked. Her house was located fairly close to the walls of this district so he didn't have to travel too far in, he just followed the wall. The air was stale. He couldn't shake the feeling that something very wrong was happening. Throwing caution to the wind he bolted for her house, fleeing from the feeling.

The door opened before he could even start pounding on it. Rushing past her he spun and took a defensive position while struggling to control his heart rate and breathing.

"Sensei, what is that?"

She peered around outside before closing the door and turning to him. "I'm sure it's nothing. Go sit down and calm yourself so we can get to work." She ordered.

He walked over and collapsed into a couch to calm down. Letting his gaze wander over the pictures in the room he came across a fairly new one with his sensei and a man. He was a rather tall and imposing looking guy with black hair and angry black eyes. The photo was about a month old.

'_That must be the guy sensei said she was forced to marry. What was his name again? Ecchi?' _His eyes focused on where the man's hand was. It was behind his sensei's back and entirely too low. '_He looks like an Ecchi._(1)'

As he was plotting ways to make the man miserable his sensei walked into the room. "Alright, let's start with-"

Before she could continue any further the front door was violently kicked in, the splintered pieces littering the entryway.

"Eiichi?" She gasped in surprise.

"I thought you'd been sleeping around with other men, but monsters? You'll pay for humiliating me like this, bitch." He snarled before lunging at her.

Caught off guard she wasn't able to properly defend herself before being hurled through a wall. As the man stalked towards her Menma threw himself on the aggressor's back and started biting and clawing at everything he could. With a roar of anguish the man grabbed Menma and slammed him into the floor.

"You sit right there, demon fox. I'll deal with you after I kill that whore." He spat out.

With that the brute stalked into the other room.

Menma lay on his back gasping and trying to ignore the pain. As he lay there he could hear smashing from the next room. He also heard screams.

"Wait... screams? Plural? What the hell is going on?" He groaned before rolling over and pushing himself up on his knees.

His sensei came flying through the wall once again. She seemed to have several bits of wood sticking out of her. Eiichi stepped through the hole in the wall with a maniacal grin on his face.

"And now I'll kill you with your own sword, slut." He sneered and drove the blade through her heart.

"No! Sensei!" Menma cried out.

"Ah, we can't forget the demon fox, now can we?" He ripped the blade out of the dead woman and turned to Menma.

"You, demon fox. _Kyūbi. _We were all told how the Yondaime sealed the fox's spirit into an infant. You're the demon reborn. And it's all _your _fault that we Uchiha are despised like we are. All those bullshit rumors about how you had the Sharingan when you attacked eight years ago." He stalked closer. "But none of that matters now, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO KILL YOU." He roared out before kicking the boy outside through the previously smashed door.

Menma lie in the street coughing blood. He groaned as he heard another scream and lifted his head to see a scene from hell. Blood and dead bodies were strewn everywhere. The scream came from a woman standing only several yards away. He watched as a man dressed in ANBU gear cut her down. Eiichi having walked out after Menma just in time to see this, ducked around a corner.

"Wh...at?" The wounded boy gasped out.

The ANBU dressed man turned to face the voice. "Oh? You're not Uchiha. What are you doing here? No matter, I'll simply have to deal with you as well." He walked over until he was towering over Menma. Looking down at him and muttered a single word. "Tsukuyomi."

Moments later Menma's world went black and he collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Eiichi, seeing this, frowned before quickly leaving the area. '_That was Itachi. If he's gone crazy and started killing people... I don't stand a chance.'_

The ANBU clad man walked over to the corner of the house where Eiichi had just stood and looked around curiously. "Perhaps there wasn't someone here after all."

* * *

**1 week later**

Menma awoke to a white ceiling. He sat up and looked around the room. '_White. So much white. Am I in the hospital?'_A few minutes later a nurse walked in and informed him he would have a visitor soon.

He waited impatiently for his visitor, hoping that it was all a nightmare. That his sensei wasn't dead and that she was coming to visit him. When his visitor arrived it wasn't his sensei.

"Some old guy?" He blurted out.

The old man chuckled. "Sorry to disappoint. Still, I would think I'm a decent second choice, wouldn't you?"

"Huh? Who are you?" Menma asked.

"Don't recognize me without my robes or hat, hmm? You chose an odd time to wake up so I guess it can't be helped." He said, pulling out a pipe and lighting it.

"S-Sandaime?"

"Well at least you got it on your first guess. Tell me, Menma, do you know why you are here?" He replied.

Menma frowned and looked down at that. His memory was fuzzy. '_Why _am _I here? Something to do with an injury... blood... that ANBU guy. That's right, he was killing people!'_He jerked his head back up to look at the old man.

"That ANBU dressed guy was killing everyone! Sensei was stabbed, what happened to her?!" He demanded.

'_Sensei? Someone has been teaching him?' _He frowned. "Who is this sensei of yours?"

"Her name is-" His thoughts ground to a halt. '_Her name... what is her name? I spent four years with her and I never bothered to learn her name? She was like a mother to me, damn it!'_

"I... I don't know her name." He looked down. "I never asked."

"Hmm. You're here because you were injured and found lying in the street in the Uchiha district. You were one of only two survivors. The Uchiha clan is all but dead now." The Third explained.

'_Uchiha? That was the Uchiha district? Was sensei an Uchiha?'_

"Do you remember anything else about that night? Anything you can tell us?" Hiruzen asked.

"Uh... there was screaming. At first I thought it was just sensei as Ecchi beat on her." Menma told him.

"Ec-Ecchi? Beat on her? What was your sensei teaching you?!" He shouted.

"How to be a ninja. Ecchi was her husband that she was forced to marry a month ago or so. Can you find out what happened to her?"

"Uchiha... Ecchi? I think you got his name a bit mixed up, but we can check and see." The old man told him. '_The clan must be rolling over in their graves. Uchiha Ecchi.'_He chuckled.

"After Ecchi killed sensei he... he told me I'm the Kyūbi." He whispered.

"He told you about the Kyūbi?" Menma nodded. "You are a jinchūriki not the Kyūbi, Menma."

The boy just looked up at him silently, pleading.

"If you seal a kunai into a scroll does the scroll become the kunai?" Hiruzen asked.

"No." Was the reply.

"What about when you sheathe a sword? Does the scabbard become the blade? When you pour water into a glass does the glass become water? He continued.

Menma shook his head.

"You are no different. The Kyūbi was placed inside of you, but that does not make you the Kyūbi."

"I... see. It explains how the villagers treat me, I guess. I'm glad I'm just the box and not the monster inside." Menma said. "Anyways... after that he kicked me out the door. Outside I saw that ANBU guy cut a woman. Then he turned around and said some things and looked in my eyes. After that, all I remember is waking up here."

The Third remained quiet while he processed all he had heard. "Alright. That's all I need to hear for now. I'm sure you'll be out of here in no time."

Menma watched the Third leave and quietly close the door behind him. Looking out the window he saw the moon had travelled roughly three-quarters the way across the sky.

"Stuck here for hours doing nothing, huh?" He sighed.

Several hours and a sunrise later Menma had finally fallen asleep. After only an hour of sleep he was woken by someone entering his room.

Standing in the doorway staring at him was a boy around his age. His hair was black and vaguely resembled the business end of a duck. His onyx eyes staring back at him as though trying to see into his soul.

"I didn't believe them when they told me someone else survived." The mystery boy said.

Menma frowned and looked down at this. "Yeah... but sensei..." he trailed off.

"We have to make him pay." The boy growled.

Menma looked at him oddly before nodding "Yeah. Ecchi will die for what he did!"

"E-Ecchi? You mean Itachi?" The boy asked with a blush.

"Was that his name? Itachi? I could never remember it." Menma told him.

"Yes, Itachi will die for what he did." The boy said, glaring at some imaginary person.

"My name is Menma."

"Sasuke."

"Let's get stronger together to kill him, Sasuke." He said solemnly.

Sasuke smirked at his newfound comrade. "Together, we'll make him pay." He replied, holding out his hand.

Menma reached out and grasped it.

A pact was made that day, even if they didn't realize they were after different men. They would fight together to get their revenge.

The Third, having watched their exchange through his crystal ball, frowned. "I'll need to keep an eye on those two. The path they've chosen isn't a good one, but they might just be able to save each other." The old man looked down at the files on his desk and frowned. "He made it sound like there were two people out there killing though. Was Ecchi really Itachi? Or was it someone else?" He brought his hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. This is why he wanted a peaceful solution to the Uchiha problem. Now he had one, possibly two, Uchiha running around outside the safety and authority of the village. Someone had made a damn mess of things and he was stuck cleaning it up.

* * *

**2 years later**

Mizuki watched as Menma angrily beat on a training dummy. The boy had caught his attention almost immediately when classes started a year ago. Back in the beginning he was second in the class, just behind Sasuke. As time wore on, however, he had fallen further and further behind. He had seen how everyone had overlooked the boy, even when he was proving superior to just about everyone. It reminded him of Iruka and himself. He had always been jealous of the other man. No matter what he did, everyone was always looking at Iruka rather than him.

"It makes your blood boil, doesn't it?" He asked suddenly. Menma whipped around surprised that he didn't notice someone nearby.

"What does?" He asked.

"How he seems to effortlessly beat you at everything. How he seems better than you in every way." Mizuki walked over and examined the dummy. "I've been watching you since you started at the academy, you know?"

"And? Why should I care?" Menma snapped.

"You remind me of myself." Mizuki turned to look at him. "I know how you can beat him."

"How?"

Mizuki pulled a book out and handed it over to him. "Seals."

"Seals?"

Mizuki nodded. "As far as I can tell, Sasuke doesn't study them at all. It's an area where you can prove yourself better than him. There are very few seal masters in Konoha, if you were to become one..."

"I could beat him. I could prove I'm better at something than he is." Menma looked down at the book and snorted. "_Fūinjutsu for Dummies_? Why couldn't you start me with a different book?"

Mizuki smiled at him. "We all have to start somewhere. I have no talent or patience for it, so I'll give it to you."

"Why are you helping me?"

"Like I said earlier, you remind me of myself. Consider this my way of proving I'm better than Iruka. We're both teachers, but I'll be the one to help you return to the top end of the class." Mizuki told him. "And if you won't believe that, well then... let's say you do become a seal master. I'll expect a discount for getting you started, alright?"

Menma smirked at him. "Fair enough."

The boy really did remind him of himself. He had watched him for some time now and realized that it wasn't for lack of talent that he was slipping, it was that he pushed himself too hard. He trained so hard that it was detrimental. If the signs of insomnia weren't enough proof, it was watching him train until he dropped only to wake up an hour or two later only to start again. If he took to studying seals seriously enough, he would be forced to spend the time fairly immobile. That should give his body enough time to recover from his training that he'd begin to improve again. And if he really _did _become a seal master, he might just be able to help with a certain mark from a snake.

"You hungry?" Mizuki asked him. "Let's go get something to eat before you start on that book."

* * *

**A/N:**

(1) I doubt it really needs explaining but for those that don't know ecchi is Japanese for lewd/perverted/etc.

Next chapter is the academy graduation, bell test, and probably a little explaining of what Naruto(Menma) learned under his two teachers. (The Uchiha and Mizuki.)

I went back and fixed up the first two chapters. They were minor things like grammar and typo fixes, so no need to re-read. You're not missing anything.

Review if you have the time, please. Let me know what I'm doing right and what I can improve.


	4. Graduation

2 years later

A hand reached out and slapped the alarm that had just gone off. Menma sat up and stretched before looking at his calendar and quickly climbing out of bed. It was finally time to graduate from the academy and get assigned to a team.

After showering he returned to his room and looked at the brown shorts and white shirt combination he'd worn throughout most of his childhood.

"The same old look?" He snorted and turned to his closet. "Yeah, right. Today's the day for the real thing." He dressed quickly and stood in front of a full length mirror. He wore a short-sleeved shirt that was a deep red. The shirt was dark enough that and night it appeared almost black. Baggy black pants led down to ninja sandals that matched his shirt in color. Black fingerless gloves adorned his hands.

"Just one thing missing." He said, turning to look at the coat hanging in the closet. The sight of it reminding him of his goals.

It had started back when Mizuki-sensei had given him that book on Fūinjutsu. He had struggled at first and decided he needed inspiration. When he'd gone to the library to find out more about it he'd found out that several well-known ninja of the village had been masters. Jiraiya the sannin. The Yondaime Hokage. Even the Third seemed to have some skill with it. After discovering that he threw himself into it and just as Mizuki had hoped, he began to climb back up the class rankings.

Eventually he returned to his old spot, second overall. He still couldn't seem to edge Sasuke out of the top spot, but their strength finally seemed even. It was then that he realized if he wanted to continue to grow that he would have to set his sights higher. Overcoming a bump in the road is far easier and takes less strength than climbing a mountain. With that, he decided he would overcome the Yondaime.

One thing he didn't notice until some time later, was that it was hard to be jealous of the dead. With his jealousy under control, or at least pointed in a direction that it didn't really bother anyone, his flagging friendship with Sasuke was restored. No longer feeling the need to prove himself to the Uchiha or anyone else in the class his attitude mellowed out a bit. This is turn made it easier for others to approach him. Which led to more people interacting with and eventually acknowledging him.

Menma rolled his eyes and reached for the coat. 'I stop giving a damn and suddenly everything I want falls in my lap.'

Putting on the coat he checked himself over one last time. His black hair was in a long shaggy style, similar to the Yondaime's. He grinned. 'Maybe a little too focused again, but it's not hurting anyone. Besides, my eyes set me apart from him.' He still wondered why they weren't the same. He knew they weren't normal, but which one was the normal eye? The blue one or the black one?

He shook his head and moved on to his coat. It was calf length, a dark blue-grey color, and had a fur collar. The sleeves reached down to his elbows, leaving his forearms bare. Satisfied with his look, he left for the academy.

* * *

As Menma walked down the street towards the academy he noticed people reacting differently than they had in the past. Before they would ignore his presence like he didn't exist. Now they were looking at him with disgust and giving him a wide berth, like he was what was left after a dog decided to squat down and relieve itself in the middle of the road. 'Maybe because I look too much like their precious hero.' He thought. 'Or they realized that ignoring me wasn't having any effect. Like what they think of me matters.' He shook his head. Thinking about the villagers was a waste of time, he'd be better off thinking about the test. He was sure the clone technique would be a part of it, especially after what Mizuki had done just a week ago.

Flashback

After class in a random training ground Mizuki had been helping him practice.

"Alright, Menma, let's see what progress you've made with your clones." Mizuki told him.

Menma flashed through the handsigns and with a cry the result was the usual. A sickly looking clone clutching it's stomach and lying on the ground.

Mizuki frowned at it. "Try again, but put more chakra into it."

This time the result was even worse. It was paler and even more sickly looking, not to mention it was a half-human half-blob... thing, and not a clone of him.

Another frown. "Again. More chakra."

"I can't put any more into it." Menma growled out.

"You shouldn't be out of chakra yet, what's wrong?" Mizuki asked him.

"No, I mean I can't put any more into it. It won't take any more." He replied.

Mizuki blinked. 'Can't put any more chakra in? That should be impossible for a genin let alone academy student.' He frowned and thought for a moment. "Try putting as little chakra as possible into it."

This time the clone looked far better. It was still fairly pale, but at least it was standing and only hunched over rather than clutching it's stomach in pain.

"I can't put any less than that." Menma reported.

Mizuki's brow creased in thought before he began searching his pockets. A few moments later he pulled out a small slip of paper and handed it over to Menma. "Channel some chakra into that, it will tell us your type."

Menma concentrated briefly and the paper caught on fire before splitting down the center.

Mizuki's brows shot up in surprise. "Two elements at your age? They're even opposing too. Lucky for us neither are earth, so the clone I'll teach you should work out just fine."

"Wouldn't I want a clone that matches my elements?" Menma interrupted.

"Not with you putting so much chakra into it that you can't charge it with any more. You're lucky it's just a clone. If it were an offensive technique it could blow up in your face and seriously harm you." Mizuki replied. "Plus, I've never heard of fire or wind clones. Now, here are the signs for the mud clone."

Several hours, and a rinsed mouth, later, Menma finally got the clone working.

"Good. It's not perfect so you'll want to keep practicing it. Solid clones are far more useful than the illusion." Mizuki said.

"So why now? Couldn't I learn something like this after I graduate?" Menma asked him.

Mizuki simply gave him a grin that said he wasn't going to tell him and motioned for him to get back to practicing.

End Flashback

"Probably a part of the test." Menma mumbled to himself.

Menma arrived in the classroom and looked around. Sasuke was in his usual spot brooding. Normally he would have given him a smack across the head and sat next to him to snap him out of it, but he had a feeling the fangirls would be especially rabid today.

"Last chance to sit next to their precious Sasuke-kun." He said with disgust. "I don't want to get caught in the middle of that. Choosing a seat alone at the back he sat and watched as the various members entered and sat.

'Aburame.' The first arrived. 'Stoic. Logical. He'll make a fine ninja.' He frowned. "With all those insects crawling around, in, and on him though... how does he not constantly scratch himself? It must itch like crazy.'

The next two that entered were a certain white-eyed girl and a boy with a dog on his head.

'Hyūga. Calm and reserved. She's probably a bit too kind for this life, not that she has any choice. Still, it's a lot better than the stuttering mess she was before.' Over the three years they'd been in the academy she'd grown more confident. 'Probably Inuzuka's doing.'

The boy had befriended her at the start of classes, ranting about how pretty she was and how she would make a great wife for him. Apparently his mother and sister had found out about and straightened him out. Or at least as best they could. Those thoughts brought him to the boy who entered with her.

'The Inuzuka is too loud to be a ninja. Too loud and too obnoxious.' He tried to imagine the boy as a ninja. Somehow his thoughts changed to imagining himself like that. Blonde hair as bright as the sun. Horrid kill-me-orange clothing. Screaming about being Hokage. An obsession with the food he was named after. He shuddered. 'Oh! Good timing. Someone to distract me from such horrible thoughts.'

The next two to enter were a boy who looked like he was sleepwalking and another stuffing his face with food.

'Nara and Akimichi.' Those two were rarely seen without each other. 'Is there a certain amount of sleep in the world? Is he always sleeping because I hardly ever sleep? Now that I think about it... Akimichi is always eating too and I know for a fact some of those fangirls diet. Hmmm.'

Speaking of fangirls. There was the sound of a stampede coming down the hallway. Just as a blonde and pink haired girl threw open the door to rush in they were thrown aside by a bunch of random girls he never bothered to remember. 'If any of those... things become ninja, I swear I'll kill them all and become a missing-nin.' He thought as said things pushed and shoved and slapped their way into the classroom. Not long after the blonde and pink haired girls entered the classroom and with a roar, threw themselves at the group. It didn't take them very long to dominate the group and force them back. Afterwards they marched over to Sasuke, forced him into the middle seat, and sat on either side of him with victorious smirks on their faces.

'Yamanaka and Haruno.' He watched them for a bit. 'We'll be short two if the others I bothered to remember pass. If we have to have any fangirls they would be the two to have.' He wondered if they were serious in their fangirl attitudes. Half the time they seemed to only do it so they could thrash the other fangirls. 'They're quite vicious when they do. Either way, better them than the completely useless ones.'

Iruka and Mizuki entered soon after and began the testing. They did the more physical portions first. Menma missed only one on the throwing, missing Sasuke's perfect score. The two of them scoring the same on taijutsu. Afterwards they returned to the classroom for the ninjutsu portion of the exam. Menma was called fairly quickly as the children without family names were called first.

"Kawarimi, Henge, and Bunshin in any order." Iruka told him.

With a nod Menma formed the hand seals and quietly called out to perform the mud clone Mizuki had taught him. He then walked over to a window, opened it, and again performed hand seals and called out to switch with said clone. The clone then dove out the window to dispel. With a final set of hand signs and quietly calling out he transformed into Mizuki.

"A perfect score. Well done." Mizuki told him with a smile.

"Indeed." Iruka said, holding out a headband with a cold look. "Congratulations on passing."

Menma quickly grabbed his headband and left, no sense in staying around to watch the others. He would find out who passed when they were assigned teams.

* * *

The sun had set and it had finally begun to get dark when Menma decided to take a break. He had graduated and officially become a ninja today, that should be reason enough to end training a little early. He stretched and decided he would take the scenic route home.

Taking the long way around he saw a familiar flash of silver hair as he neared a lesser used gate. Looking closer he realized it was Mizuki. He was carrying a large scroll and seemed to be glancing around nervously as he made his way beyond the village.

Menma narrowed his eyes at this. Mizuki was acting odd. Usually he would be home at this hour. Deciding to find out what was going on he followed him as he made his way into the forest. A few minutes later he stopped in a clearing where someone else seemed to be waiting for him.

Mizuki patted the scroll. "The Forbidden Scroll, as promised. With this he'll let me join, right?"

"Of course." The other man replied. "We'll even leave alone those two, just as you requested. Now come, we need to leave before anyone finds us."

Menma had heard enough. Throwing away his first teacher's training he leapt out into the clearing to confront them. The two, thinking they had been caught, leapt backwards up into the trees to land on a branch.

"Mizuki-sensei, what the hell, you're a traitor?!" Menma roared.

Mizuki frowned. Menma normally trained for hours still, what was he doing out here? "You don't understand, Menma, I don't have a choice. My past, combined with my actions and all the rumors flying around..." He shook his head. "I have to join them. It's the only way."

"What actions? What rumors?! Just bring the scroll back and I'm sure it'll all work out!" Menma pleaded.

"Menma, thank you. Keep getting stronger and do what I couldn't. Show Iruka, show all the others that we're just as amazing as they are. That we won't lose." Mizuki told him.

"What do you mean what you couldn't do? What about your fiancé? What about your house? Iruka doesn't have anyone! He lives in a crappy apartment like I do! You're going to have kids and pass on what you know and he'll die old and alone!"

The mystery ninja looked over and the teacher and frowned. He could see the hesitation in his eyes. Was that little bastard actually getting through to him?

"You were proof I could beat Sasuke. You're-"

The other ninja had heard enough. He could see it, Mizuki wasn't going to follow through. So he would just have to take care of things on his own. He pulled out a tantō and jammed it into the man's back. He quickly grabbed the scroll before giving Mizuki a kick in the back and sent him plummeting to the ground.

"MIZUKI-SENSEI!" Menma rushed forward but didn't make it in time. Mizuki had twisted as he fell, and landed on his back. There was a sickening squish as the blade sunk the rest of the way into his body.

Menma reached his side and knelt next to him to find him coughing up blood. "Sorry... Menma. It looks like... you really will have to show them... all..."

Menma felt for a pulse as Mizuki's breathing stopped. Nothing. No pulse. 'No. This can't be happening. Not again!'

The ninja up in the tree let out a cruel laugh. "Dead already? What a weakling!"

"Shut up..." Menma growled out.

"One attack! All it took was one attack! Pathetic people like that deserve to die!"

"SHUT UP!" Menma roared, red chakra beginning to leak out of him. He stood and turned to the ninja in the tree. "I'll kill you."

The red chakra gushed out of him like a geyser forming into a shell around him that vaguely resembled an animal.

"Kill me? A little shit like you? I'll gut you and leave you for the crows, along with that weak trash next to you."

Menma growled at him, the shroud darkening into a deep red as Killing Intent flooded the atmosphere. The combination of chakra and KI acted as a beacon for the ANBU that were searching for the scroll.

The ninja sweat nervously. 'Is that KI really coming from that kid? What a monster.' he thought. 'No doubt it alerted the guards. I'll have to finish this quickly.' He pulled out a kunai and lunged at the boy.

Menma didn't move.

'Is he just going to stand there and let me kill him? So much for him being terrifying.' The man thought as he closed in. At the last second Menma twitched to the side causing the kunai to miss his heart.

"Still got your lung. Not so bad now, are you?" The man sneered at him.

Menma stared him in the eye as his hand flashed forward and slashed out his throat. The man stared back at him gasping and choking on his own blood.

"The only weak trash I see here, is you." He growled out, roughly pushing him aside and walking over to the scroll.

As the chakra shroud slipped away he carefully unrolled the giant scroll. If his teacher died for the knowledge in this thing he'd damn well put it to use and learn something from it.

The ANBU and the Hokage showed up shortly after he sat down. The enemy ninja gurgled and died right as they showed up. Just as the Hokage was about to speak he was cut off.

"What is this?" Menma growled. "Icha Icha Paradise?" He unrolled the scroll further. "Icha Icha Tactics. Icha Icha Arena. Icha Icha RANCH." He turned and hurled the scroll at the feet of the Hokage. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?"

"That would be the Forbidden Scroll, Menma." The Third told him calmly.

"Where are all the techniques? What's with all that shitty smut?!"

"You didn't really think we would have the village's most powerful and dangerous techniques all in a single scroll, did you? That would make it entirely too easy to cripple us." The old man continued. "Those techniques are all sealed into different scrolls. One technique per scroll. They're also all stored in separate locations."

"Then why is Mizuki dead? What the hell did he die for?!"

"He died for the village, Menma. His name will be put on the Memorial Stone. He'll be remembered as a hero."

The boy grit his teeth angrily. 'What a bunch of crap.' He turned and stalked away before pausing at the edge of the clearing. He turned his head to look back at the old man.

"The village wasn't worth it." He ground out before walking off into the shadows.

The Third let out a tired sigh. Mizuki wasn't supposed to die over this. And now Menma was slipping further away from the ideals he hopped to pass on to him.

* * *

A day later

Iruka was rambling on about what it meant to be a ninja. He was telling the class about the Will of Fire and how they were all expected to give their lives for the village. He stared at Menma over that last part.

His eyes narrowed when he saw Menma snort over it. 'I guess he really did take Mizuki's death hard. Maybe I should make an effort to get to know him after all.'

He then proceeded to list off the teams. Menma ignored most of them as they were filled with useless fangirls and others that didn't take being a ninja seriously. It was once he got to team 7 that he started paying attention.

"Team 7 will be Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and... Menma, under Hatake Kakashi." He called out.

'At least it's one of the two wild beast fangirls. She shouldn't be that much of a burden.' Menma thought, looking at the girl. She was definitely pleased at being on Sasuke-kun's team. Sasuke just kept staring out the window.

"Team 8 will consist of Hyūga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba, and Aburame Shino, under Yūhi Kurenai."

Kiba whooped at being on the same team as Hinata, Hinata smiled, and Shino... Shino'd.

"Team 9 is still in circulation from last year. Team 10 will be Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chōji under Sarutobi Asuma." He said. "Wait here until they come pick you up." With that, he left them alone.

One by one the Jounin came and picked up their teams until only Team 7 remained. Menma waited patiently for an hour before standing and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Sakura called out. "We have to wait here until we're picked up."

"It's been an hour. I have more important things to do than sitting around wasting time." Menma replied, walking out the door.

Sasuke stood and followed him out without a second thought. Sakura looked around worriedly for a moment before rushing after them.

Two hours later a certain grey-haired man would enter to find an empty room. "They were told to wait here, right?" He asked the empty room. With a sigh he vanished to hunt down his missing team.

He quickly found the three of them and dragged them back to the academy roof.

"Why did you three leave?" He asked them.

"Why were you three hours late?" Menma replied.

"Well, you see, I almost walked under a ladder so I had to back up and when I did I knocked over a mirror and broke it, so I had to go touch a piece to a tombstone to prevent all that bad luck." Kakashi told him. "So, why did you leave?"

"I heard our new sensei was crazy and wanted to ask the Hokage for a different one." Menma told him in a monotone.

"Smartass, huh? Why don't you introduce yourself so we can all get to know you." Kakashi said.

"Menma."

Kakashi waited. When he realized he wasn't going to say anything else he spoke. "What about likes, dislikes, hobbies, or dreams for the future?"

Menma just stared at him.

"You know, like this. My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have some likes... mmm, and some dislikes. I don't feel like telling you about my hobbies. Dreams for the future? I haven't really thought about it." He said.

"Menma." He stated.

"...oookay. You next." Kakashi pointed at Sakura.

"Ah, uh, I'm Haruno Sakura. My likes... I mean the person I like..." She giggled. "My hobbies..." She looked at Sasuke and blushed. "My dreams for the future..." She looked over at Sasuke again and giggled and blushed some more.

Kakashi's eye twitched. "And finally, you." He said, looking at Sasuke.

"My name is Uchiha Sasuke. I have few likes and too many dislikes to mention. I have no dream because I will make it a reality. I will restore my clan, and kill a certain man." He replied darkly.

Kakashi's eye twitched more violently at this. 'Maybe next time I'll actually tell them something. Being on the receiving end of these not-introductions is annoying.'

Kakashi sighed and stood. "Alright, well, be at the assigned training ground at dawn tomorrow morning for a survival exercise. We'll see if you're really cut out to be ninja."

"Wait, didn't we already pass?" Sakura blurted out.

"That was to see if you had the ability to become genin. My test is to see if you actually become genin." He turned his back on them and prepared to leave. "Oh, and don't bother eating, you'll only puke." With that, he vanished.

* * *

The next morning the three sat around the training ground waiting for Kakashi to show up. Like before, after an hour of waiting Menma stood and walked off.

"Where are you going this time?!" Sakura shouted at him.

"Breakfast." Was the only reply she got.

Like before Sasuke stood and wandered off without a second thought.

"Sasuke, are you going to go eat too?" Sakura asked.

"Yes."

"Can I go wi-"

"No." He cut her off.

Sakura stood there looking after him sadly for a minute before chasing after Menma.

Once again Kakashi showed up 2 hours later and had to drag them back.

"You're late again." Sakura pointed out.

"Ah, when I was walking here I had a black cat cross my path and had to take the long way around." Another lame excuse poured out of Kakashi's mouth. He pulled out a timer and set it on a stump. He then turned to the three and pulled out two bells. "You have until the timer goes off at noon to get a bell from me. If you don't get a bell, I tie you to one of these posts and eat my lunch in front of you."

Kakashi waited for the outburst he was sure he would get. When he got none he gave them a flat look. "You all ate didn't you?" He got three nods in reply.

"Whatever, just get a bell or fail." He sighed. "Ready, go!"

The three quickly leapt apart and hid in the surrounding forest. They waited tensely as Kakashi pulled out... a book? Menma narrowed his eyes angrily at this. He recognized that book from the Forbidden Scroll.

Deciding to make a move he spewed out mud to create several clones. He sent the first one out to face the man directly.

"A direct approach? I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less from the second best." He said.

Clone-Menma growled at this. 'First he has that trash book and now he insults me? Fine, let's see how good he is.' With a snarl he charged the Jounin. Kakashi easily blocked and dodged his various attacks before vanished and appearing behind him.

"Letting your anger control and and letting an enemy get behind you? Sloppy." He said. His hands formed the tiger seal before he jammed them forward into Menma's rear. The clone immediately burst apart covering his book in mud.

When the clone had jumped down to face Kakashi, Menma created a second clone to drag Sakura over while he went after Sasuke. Once they had gotten together he sent the second clone to watch the fight.

"Why should we work together? There are only two bells." Sasuke said.

"Yeah, and he's a Jounin. None of us can take him on alone. After we beat him and get the bells we can fight against each other to see who gets them." Menma replied.

Sasuke and Sakura nodded. It was fairly sound. Fight the tougher enemy together, then worry about the bells.

"I've got a clone fighting him now, when the time is right, you'll know when to jump in." He told them. They quickly split back up and returned to watch the fight just in time to see the first clone explode all over his book.

"Nooooooo!" Kakashi wailed.

The second clone chose that moment to show himself. He was standing behind Kakashi with a notebook and appeared to be writing in it.

"Kakashi. Likes - little boys and trashy porn novels." Kakashi whirled around with a growl. "Oh yes, I know what those books are. Which one was that? Icha Icha Ranch? Or maybe... Icha Icha Bishounen?" With a roar Kakashi lunged at him to avenge his Precious.

The second clone also exploded upon impact, coating Kakashi in mud and blocking his sight.

"There!" Sasuke shouted before leaping out. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

Kakashi felt the giant fireball flying towards him and leapt to the side. As he did so, he felt a tug on his belt. Ripping his headband up to reveal his Sharingan since his other was filled with mud he found a smirking Sakura holding both bells.

"Nice job. So who's going to pass?" He asked her.

Menma and Sasuke walked up to her. "We're going to fight each other to find out." Menma told him.

"No you're not." The three looked at him in surprise. "Sakura has the bells, so she's going to choose. So? Who passes?"

Sakura looked confused and more than a little afraid. She could keep one and give the other to Sasuke but Menma might attack her to take the bell anyways.

"Tch. Let them have them." Menma said. Sakura and Sasuke looked at him before looking back at Kakashi.

"You're willing to sacrifice your own chance for them?" Menma nodded. "Then you all... pass. Meet me here tomorrow morning for your first mission." Kakashi told them.

* * *

**A/N:**

The next chapter likely won't be as long. The traditional Tora stuff as well as the beginning of Wave. I felt this chapter was a little bit rough. I'll likely come back through some time and clean it up.

**Tomaxor:** I haven't seen RTN but from what I read online he was basically like Dark Naruto? This Menma won't be entirely evil like that but he's certainly not all sunshine and rainbows. Hopefully he lives up to your expectations. Also, I don't want to give anything away but the title of the story isn't actually referring to Naruto(Menma). It refers to someone/something else.


	5. Waves of Blood

**serialkeller:** They were there. You likely missed them because you were expecting something flashy. Mizuki's were fairly easy to spot as I shoved them right in everyone's face. Seals and the mud clone. The Uchiha's were a bit more subtle. The very thing you thought was a weakness. The clones. _Menma didn't face Kakashi once during the bell test._Every time the two fought it was a mud clone. I'm not saying there's a connection there, but who else do you know that acts that way in the series?

Subtlety, misdirection, attacking from the shadows, those are Menma's bread and butter right now. If you want flashy you'll have to wait for the Chuunin Exams arc for the first bit. Most of the rest won't happen until Shippuden.

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Several months had passed since graduation and Team 7 had just finished its most difficult and grueling mission yet - the capture of a ferocious wild beast. Or rather, it was difficult for Sasuke and Sakura. Menma had simply set down a paralysis seal and waited for the other two to chase the cat into it. The paralysis didn't last very long, only 4 or 5 seconds, but it was long enough for him to hog-tie the little bastard.

Menma stared blankly at the other two as they trudged up to him, panting, covered in dirt, and scratched up.

"You two look like you've gone through a war," he smirked.

"Shut... up..." His pink haired teammate panted out at him. The other just let out a grunt.

He handed them both a bottle of water and waited for them to catch their breath.

"How are you alright? You were out there chasing that _thing _with us." Sasuke demanded with a glare.

Menma pointed at the one that had been with them the entire time as it dissolved into mud. "Why do myself what I can send a clone to do?"

"But... teamwork..." Sakura seemed even more out of breath than before.

'_Just how bad is her stamina? Where-' _He stopped that train of thought and grinned evilly. "Oh, hi Ino!"

Sakura seemed to revive at those words and jumped to her feet to fend off the woman 'encroaching on her territory'. "Huh? Where's Ino?" She asked.

"Not here." Menma told her flatly. "As for teamwork, what do you think the training and sparring is for? Learning teamwork from babysitting and pulling weeds is just a bunch of crap they tell genin to make them do the chores the villagers are too damn lazy to do themselves."

Menma then bent down and picked up the tied up cat, smirking as it tried in vain to scratch and bite him. "Come on, let's go dump this thing off." He started walking towards the Hokage tower while poking the cat and grinning as it hissed at him.

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other and shrugged.

"Do you guys think Kakashi-sensei will get us another mission after this?" Sakura asked them.

"No." Sasuke said.

Menma put his free hand to his chin to think for a moment. "Sasuke is right, he'll probably dismiss us to go read his trashy novels again." Tora seemed to start annoying him so he started swinging the cat back and forth like a pendulum.

Kakashi chose this moment to show up. Upon seeing the cat swinging back and forth he gave Menma a flat look. "Do you _have _to torture the cat like that?"

WHUMP

The cat hit the side of a building before doubling its hissing and spitting. Menma shrugged. "He seems fine. Besides, what the client doesn't know won't hurt her." He went back to swinging the cat around.

They reached the tower with Menma still swinging the cat around. The client had a fit when she saw this and mashed the cat into her chest.

"I can teach you the proper method for breaking necks, you know, just in case." Menma told her, staring at the cat. The client gave him a horrified look, quickly paid her fee, and rushed out of the building.

The Hokage shook his head. "Alright, we've got plenty more missions for you to choose from. Babysitting. Walking dogs-" "Tora!" "And capturing Tora... again."

"Seals sure are amazing. It's a shame they're so difficult." Menma said, seemingly out of nowhere. "Just a few lines different and a paralysis seal can become an explosive seal."

"Right... we also have weed pulling-"

"Hokage-sama." Menma cut him off. "We'd like a mission, please. If we get any more of these D-ranked _chores_I might just snap and let a certain furball out to play."

The Third stared at Menma for a few long minutes. Turning to Kakashi he asked, "Kakashi, do you believe your team is ready for a C-ranked mission?"

"Well, it might be a nice change of pace," he replied.

"Bring in Tazuna," the Hokage ordered.

Moments later a sweaty old drunk walked in and gave them a sour look. "What? I wanted ninja, not a bunch of kids. And look at that one's eyes. What the hell is wrong with him?"

Menma's eye twitched at the comments. "There's nothing _wrong_ with me and we _are_ninja."

"Ninja my ass. You all look like you're barely off your momma's teats." The drunk sneered at him.

"Do you want to die, old man? Is that it? Do you know where I got these rings from? A lack of sleep, something I bet you spend a lot of time doing," Menma hissed out.

"Now now, let's not threaten the client." Kakashi said, trying to calm him down.

"Ehm, well, right. I'm Tazuna and you're going to bridge me with your lives! So I can build a super protect!" He slurred out, finishing off his bottle. He frowned and began mumbling to himself. "A... super lives? To bridge my protect? Uhhh..."

Kakashi turned to his students. "Meet us at the gate in one hour."

* * *

An hour later the usual three were waiting at the gate while waiting for their habitually late Scarecrow.

Kakashi and Tazuna showed up shortly after. "Yo! You guys all packed and ready to go? Menma, where's your pack?"

Menma pulled a single scroll out of an inner pocket to flash at the man before tucking it away.

"Alright then, let's head out."

* * *

They had travelled in silence for about an hour before Sakura asked Kakashi about ninja in Wave. Sasuke didn't seem interested in the discussion and Menma sure as hell didn't care. Either they had no ninja or their ninja sucked so bad they turned to Konoha to get the job done.

Walking over to Sasuke to gave him a nod. "Tell me about Ecchi."

"Itachi?" Sasuke's face darkened. "Why?"

"Because the more we know about him the better our chances of taking him down when the time comes," Menma replied.

Sasuke nodded, it made sense. "Well... he's a prodigy. He's better than even I am. He graduated from the academy at 7. Unlocked his Sharingan at 8. Chunin at 10, and ANBU at 13." Sasuke fell silent, no doubt brooding over his own progress.

"What else?" Menma asked, cataloguing what he had heard. '_Did Ecchi have the Sharingan? I don't remember seeing him use it.'_

"He's a Katon user, like most Uchiha," Sasuke added. "I can't really think of anything else. He hasn't exactly been around for me to study."

Both boys saw the puddle up ahead and gave each other a knowing look.

"Ah, sensei, I need to use the restroom!" Menma ran off into the woods on the side of the path without bothering to wait for a reply. A minute later he returned. "Sorry about that, all good!"

Kakashi merely smirked beneath his mask and urged the group forward past the puddle. As soon as they were past the puddle two men jumped out. After wrapping Kakashi in a chain connected between their gauntlets they gave a tug, shredding the Jounin to pieces.

"Got'cha!" One of them said. They quickly turned their sights on Menma and rushed for him to repeat the process.

Sasuke and Menma had immediately responded by pulling out kunai to defend themselves. Sakura had frozen for a second before doing the same and jumping in front of Tazuna to guard him.

When the pair turned and ran at Menma he braced himself for attack. Before they could reach him Sasuke threw a shuriken followed by a kunai, pinning their chain to a tree. The pair released the chain and split up, one continuing after the Sasuke and Menma, the other ran after Tazuna and Sakura.

Sasuke and Menma split apart to force their enemy to pick between them. He turned to rush towards Sasuke.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu." Sasuke breathed out a massive fireball.

When the enemy jumped to the side to avoid the fireball Menma blurred next to him to brutally kick him back into the fireball before he could land. The ninja, seeing this, reached out with his claw to grab the leg, but only managed to slash it before getting kicked back into the fireball. A scream told them the attack worked but that he wasn't dead yet. Menma limped up to the charred ninja and flicked a kunai into his heart.

Meanwhile Sakura didn't fare as well. She had managed to block the first strike before being kicked aside towards a tree. Kakashi decided to show up and catch her before she plowed head first into the tree. He then placed her down and ran towards the enemy but arrived just after he had slashed out the clients throat. A hand to the back of the neck later, he was unconscious.

Kakashi looked down at the old man and sighed. "Menma is poisoned and the client won't survive that wound. Let's go back to Konoha."

"Actually, we're both fine." Menma told him as he and Tazuna walked out of the trees on the side of the road.

Kakashi noticed that the injured Menma and Tazuna both dissolved into mud. "You know, some people might get offended that you're not doing any work around here." He said with a mock angry tone.

Menma waved him off. "Yeah yeah, keeping the client safe and hidden is slacking off."

Kakashi turned to Tazuna and gave him a flat stare. "So, mind telling us why these ninja were trying to kill you?"

Tazuna began to sweat. "What makes you think they're after me?" He glanced around nervously.

"The fact that he-" Kakashi pointed at the unconscious one at his feet. "ignored Sakura to go after you."

Tazuna looked around helplessly for a moment before sighing and slumping his shoulders. "It's Gatō. He wants me dead."

"Gatō Corp, Gatō?" Kakashi asked with a frown. "If he's behind this and hiring missing-nin to kill you this is beyond a simple C-rank. Lying about the mission is a great way to get yourself, and all of us, killed. We should return to Konoha and leave you here for this."

"Oh, I understand." Tazuna said. "I'll just continue on alone. Wave will be crushed and countless people will die. My daughter will cry and cry, and my grandson will hold a grudge against Konoha forever."

Kakashi sighed and turned to the rest of his team. "What do you guys think?"

Sasuke smirked and nodded his head. Sakura hesitantly agreed. Menma shrugged. "Why not? At least it gets us away from changing diapers." He said.

"Alright then, we'll continue the mission." Tazuna grinned triumphantly at Kakashi's statement.

* * *

The group had just finished crossing the water on a boat. The man who owned the boat had been incredibly jumpy and twitchy, like a small animal waiting for its death. He was so bad he seemed to rub off on the others.

As they were walking along Menma suddenly threw a kunai into a bush, making Sakura and Sasuke jump. When it revealed a white rabbit Kakashi went on alert while Menma frowned. '_I thought I felt someone there.'_

"GET DOWN!" Kakashi shouted, tackling Tazuna to the ground.

The three genin dropped to the ground just before a giant sword flew over their heads and sunk deeply into a nearby tree.

"The clones sure are getting a workout today." Menma discretely performed hand signs and spit out a bunch of mud as they were lying down.

"Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Hidden Mist. "Kakashi said, revealing his Sharingan. "I'll have to take this seriously."

"The Copycat, eh? I even get to see your special little eye. This will be fun. Kirigakure no Jutsu!"

"Sasuke, Menma, Sakura, protect the client." Kakashi said, pulling out a kunai.

Menma used the mud he had spit out to form into clones of the two ninja they had fought earlier that day. They, along with team 7, formed a protective barrier around Tazuna.

"It won't help you!" Zabuza shouted, appearing in the center of them to cut down Tazuna.

Kakashi blurred over to him and slashed him in the stomach. The wound bled water before the 'Zabuza' collapsed into a puddle. Shortly after a second Zabuza appeared behind Kakashi and swung his sword cutting him in two. Kakashi collapsed into a puddle as well.

"It's over." A second Kakashi said, appearing behind Zabuza.

"Or is it?" Yet another Zabuza appeared, grabbing on to Kakashi as the one in front of him turned into water.

The two mud clones jumped forward one slashing high while the other slashed low, both trying to claw Zabuza. Zabuza at first seemed to think they were heading for Kakashi so he held him still. At the last second he realized they were aiming for him and jumped back receiving cuts from both.

"Gōzu! Meizu! You backstabbing bastards!" Zabuza growled at the two.

"It's nothing personal." Gōzu started. "Just business." Meizu finished. The two moved to flank Zabuza while Kakashi remained in front of him. They remained this way for several tense moments before senbon flew out hitting Zabuza as well as the two mud clones.

"I thank you for distracting them. I've hunted those three for some time." A masked man said, appearing out of the trees. "I'll take care of them now."

Kakashi watched the boy warily as he walked towards the three. As he reached Gōzu he seemed to steel himself before cutting off his head. The body dissolved into mud throwing him off for a moment. He threw a glance at the Konoha ninja before blurring over to Zabuza, grabbing him and his sword, and vanishing.

Kakashi frowned and covered his eye. "How far away is your home, Tazuna?" He asked, turning to the man.

"Ah, it's just up ahead, follow me." The old drunk replied before walking on.

Kakashi walked slowly until he was beside Menma. "How are you doing?" He asked him.

"Hmm?" Menma replied.

"The Demon Brothers back there. The first kill is always rough." Kakashi said, glancing down at him.

Menma frowned. "That wasn't my first kill," he said quietly.

Kakashi blinked and paused briefly at that, allowing Menma to walk ahead. He shared a look with Sasuke and Sakura who had been discretely eavesdropping on them. They were all thinking the same thing. '_If that wasn't his first kill, what was?'_

* * *

In the forest not far away the masked man was carefully pulling the needles out of Zabuza's neck. Zabuza woke shortly and ripped the rest out violently.

"Damn those traitors. What happened to them?" He demanded.

"I assume they're dead," the boy replied. "You weren't actually fighting the brothers. Those were mud clones."

"Mud clones? What?" Zabuza grunted out.

"After I placed the three of you into a false death I prepared myself to kill them for betraying us. When I cut off Gōzu's head, he turned into mud," the boy said.

"Those sneaky little bastards. Watch them while I recover and deal with the one who made the clones," he ordered. It wouldn't do to fall for another trick like that.

The boy nodded. "Come, let's get you back to the hideout."

* * *

**End Chapter 4**

**A/N:**

Not much to say here. Wave wraps up next chapter and you'll get a hint of the flashy in the exams I spoke of before the story.

Spell-check wanted to change Meizu to seizure. That amused me.


	6. Waves of Blood 2

**serialkeller:** It was a gamble for Menma that paid off. He didn't know if Zabuza had seen them fight previously or not. If he had, it wouldn't have been as effective. I tried to show a little more of his other skills this time around. He still uses his clones, of course, but he does a little more work.

* * *

**Chapter 5**

It only took them about 15 minutes to reach Tazuna's house.

"Tsunami, Inari, I'm home!" Tazuna threw the door open with a shout.

A woman came walking out of the kitchen with a relieved look on her face. "Father, you're alright!"

"Yep. These are the ninja I hired to protect me. They're not half bad!" He said with a grin while waving a hand at team 7.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi and these are my students, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Menma."

A young boy chose that moment to walk out, give them a death glare, mutter "You're wasting your time." and stomp off up the stairs.

"All he needs is to claw at us and it will feel like we never left Konoha," Menma said. "Well, and a ribbon on his ear."

Sasuke smirked while Sakura giggled.

Tsunami gave them a strained smile. "Ah, I'll show you to your rooms, please, follow me." She led them up the stairs before stopping in front of a room. "You can use this room," she motioned to the one in front of her, "and that one over there," she pointed to another.

"Sasuke, Menma, you two take this one. Sakura and I will take the other. All of you drop your stuff off then meet me downstairs, we need to talk," Kakashi told them as he walked back downstairs.

Menma didn't see the need to 'drop off' his scroll and immediately walked back downstairs. The other two set their gear in their rooms and hurried downstairs.

"As I'm sure you've all figured out, that hunter-nin was a fraud," Kakashi started. "The moment he found out the Demon Brothers were clones and took off with Zabuza he tipped his hand. He's working with him."

"Even if the clones 'died' the moment those needles struck? I noticed the other one falling apart without being touched," Menma said.

"Yes. Senbon aren't normally used by hunter-nin. They're more often used by medics. It's possible to put people into death-like states with them. If that's what he did, we're in luck. It will take Zabuza some time to recover from that. His partner, however, won't have that same problem," Kakashi paused there to let it sink in.

The three genin looked sober at that.

"We'll stick to pairs until we've dealt with them. Sakura and I will be one, while Sasuke and Menma will be the other," he told them. "I realize there will be some situations where you'll want privacy, but otherwise, try to keep together."

"Good. I wasn't exactly looking forward to holding Sasuke's hand while he used the restroom," Menma said with a smirk.

The Uchiha smirked back at him. "Wouldn't it be the other way around, _second place? _Since you can never beat me do you need me to show you my technique?"

Sakura stared at Sasuke with a look of horror on her face. Menma scooted away with a shudder.

Sasuke blinked before he realized what he said. "Wait! Not like that!"

"Anyways!" Kakashi cutting him off caused him to sulk. "Even with the other one being fine, we'll likely have a day or two before he begins to move, because he'll have to patch Zabuza up first. That means we train tomorrow. Make sure you're well rested for it."

The spent the rest of the day resting from their battles. Dinner was relatively quiet, although the brat Inari seemed determined to make them all burst into flames through glares alone.

* * *

That night as Menma sat on the roof reading through the original book Mizuki gave him, Sasuke decided to join him. Menma decided to ignore him until he spoke. It wasn't that he still needed the book, on the contrary, he had advanced beyond it. He was simply using it to fuel his nostalgia.

"Who was your first kill?" Sasuke asked abruptly.

Menma sat staring at the book blankly for a few minutes before closing it and turning to look at him.

"Do you remember our last day at the academy? When we were assigned our teams?" Sasuke nodded. "Did you even notice Mizuki-sensei was missing?"

Sasuke looked at him in shock. "You killed Mizuki-sensei?"

"No!" Menma snarled. "He was like an older brother to me, I would never harm him. No... he was killed by a traitor to the village. A spy for someone else."

"Who?"

"I never found out. Mizuki-sensei... had been backed into a corner and thought he had to flee the village. When I was trying to convince him to stay, that bastard stabbed him in the back and killed him." Menma clenched his hands in anger. "_He_was the one I killed."

"You got revenge?" Menma nodded. "How does it feel? To get revenge?"

"I was still angry," he told him. "I wanted to know why Mizuki-sensei had to die."

Sasuke stared at him for a minute before asking quietly, "Did you ever find out?"

Menma frowned. "The traitor had convinced Mizuki-sensei to steal the Forbidden Scroll. I figured, if he had to die for it, I should put it to use and learn something from it. Sort of a... a tribute, I guess. Learn some all-powerful technique so I could use it to kill the bastard the spy worked for."

Sasuke seemed interested at that.

"Don't get your hopes up," Menma sneered. "The Forbidden Scroll was full of those trashy novels Kakashi-sensei reads." Sasuke stared at him in disbelief. "That's right. The whole damn thing was filled with Icha Icha."

"You're joking," he said.

Menma shook his head. "That was when the Hokage and the ANBU showed up. I asked him why Mizuki died." Menma's face contorted in rage. "Do you know what he told me? He told he me died for the village! What _bullshit!_"

Sasuke frowned at all he had heard. '_That's... I don't even... he got revenge and he doesn't even seem happy. Is what I'm doing wrong?'_

Menma grit his teeth as he stood. "I need to go blow off some steam."

"Wait! Kakashi said we're supposed to stay together."

"He also said we'd be fine for a day or two," Menma said. He jammed his book into a pocket before dropping to the ground and stalking into the forest.

Sasuke watched him go. '_If I kill Itachi and find out the clan died for nothing... will I turn out the same?'_ How would he revive his clan if he was stuck in the past just like Menma?

* * *

Menma had managed to wear himself out and fall into one of his short and restless slumbers. It was shortly after dawn when a snapping twig in the nearby woods woke him with a start. It took him only an instant to realize it was in the opposite direction from the client's house. He quickly created a mud clone and used a kawarimi with a random rock in the woods nearby.

When a person dressed in a pink kimono entered the clearing he relaxed and nearly revealed himself. It was only seeing the figure instantly tense and reach for its basket upon seeing his clone that stopped him.

'_One of the Konoha nin.' _The figure cast a glance around the clearing. '_Is he alone out here? This would be the perfect opportunity to deal with him.'_

Menma watched the figure glance around the clearing with narrowing eyes. Suspicious. He snuck around to get behind the figure as it slowly walked towards his clone. He carefully and quietly followed the person as they walked across the clearing. When the figure pulled out senbon Menma pulled out a kunai.

'_Is this that hunter-nin working with Zabuza or just some overly paranoid semi-trained villager?'_

When the figure seemed to visible steel itself just like yesterday and stab the senbon into the clones neck he was convinced. He brought the blunt end of the kunai down in a blur, knocking the person out.

"You're not supposed to be active for another day or two," he said with a frown. "Kakashi will know what to do with you." He quickly tied the ninja up and slung him over a shoulder. He paused to withdraw the senbon from the rapidly decaying clone before walking off to Tazuna's house.

* * *

He was greeted by an upset Kakashi when he arrived.

"Menma you're supposed to be - who is that?" Kakashi's brow raised at seeing the person slumped over his shoulder.

"I think it's Zabuza's partner. He came across me in a clearing and tried to kill me. He didn't realize he was killing a clone." Menma held up the senbon that killed his clone.

"Right, well let's find out." Kakashi tied the boy up, plopped him in a chair, and passed some smelling salts beneath his nose. With a groan he woke up, blinked and looked around. The boy noticed Menma standing nearby and frowned. "I put you in a false death state. How long have you kept me unconscious?" He asked glaring at Kakashi.

"However long it took my student to carry you here." Kakashi stood and stared at him. "That was a clever trick, pretending to be a hunter-nin to save Zabuza."

The boy frowned. "I still lack strength if you managed to capture me."

Kakashi's smile reached his eye. "Well that proves it then. Thanks for clearing that up for us."

The boy blinked and sighed. "You didn't know I was working with him until just now, did you?"

"Nope," he said, still smiling. "Why don't you tell us your name and what you were doing in that field."

Sasuke and Sakura entered the room at that point and looked at Menma questioningly. He just shrugged and nodded towards the boy.

"My name is Haku. I was gathering herbs to help Zabuza-sama recover," the boy replied.

Sasuke glared at the boy while Sakura let out a gasp.

"Alright. You're going to take us to Zabuza now," Kakashi told him reaching to untie him.

"I will not! I will never betray Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried out.

"Hey, hey, we just want to talk. Maybe we can work something out." Kakashi told him as he finished untying him.

Haku glared at and let his gaze wander over the four. He sighed. "Fine. It's not like I have a choice. I can't take on all four of you and survive."

* * *

Zabuza lay bandaged on a bed as a midget and two other men entered the room.

"Zabuza! What is this?" The midget yelled.

"What do you want, _Gatō?" _Zabuza spat out.

"You told me you had this handled! Demon of the Mist? Bah, you couldn't even kill those tree-huggers Tazuna hired!" The midget stalked closer to Zabuza.

"They got lucky. Next time they won't."

"They had better! If you know what's good for you you'll do it right this time!" The midget said reaching for the man.

A kunai flashed out and stabbed the midget's hand. With a shriek he stumbled backwards. The two meat-heads with him drew their swords.

"You two think you can take me? Even like this you're not match," Zabuza threatened.

"I'll remember this, Zabuza! You'd better watch your back!" The midget cried before signalling the men to withdraw.

Zabuza could hear him talking again once they thought they were out or hearing range.

"Get me a bingo book. I want to know how much I'll get for his head!" He could hear the midget rant.

'_So, you're going to betray me, huh? We'll see who claims whose head, Gatō.'_

A few minutes later Haku and team 7 arrived at the hideout.

"Haku? It's about time you-" he cut off as team 7 showed up. "What is this?!"

"Relax, Zabuza, we caught Haku and forced him to bring us here. We want to make a deal." Kakashi waved his hand dismissively. "Our mission is to protect Tazuna until his bridge is finished, but you and I both know if Gatō is still around when it's done he'll just take control of it too."

He pointed to his team. "We work for a ninja village, while you two are missing-nin. We have a reputation to uphold. If we let Gatō take control of the bridge our reputation will suffer. You're both just after money, right?"

"Yes," Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "What of it?"

"Gatō has a lot of money. Who says you have to get it by working for him?"

"Get to the point Kakashi," Zabuza growled.

"You help us take care of Gatō. We return what he stole from Wave, and you take a cut of the rest. It will probably be a lot more than he's offering to pay you anyways," Kakashi said.

Zabuza lay quietly for a minute thinking it over. "You're lucky the little bastard was planning on betraying me."

"Great," Kakashi said. "How long will it take you to recover?"

"He'll be back to full strength in a week," Haku responded.

"Then Gatō will die in one week," Kakashi stated grimly. "Can you tell us where he stays? I'd like to scout the place out so we can plan."

"I'll send Haku to show you his mansion. He keeps roughly three-quarters of his men there. The rest we don't know where they are, we just know that they're out there. Some other camp with the slaves Gatō doesn't keep for himself or throw into the brothels, probably," Zabuza said.

"Until we meet again." Kakashi and the rest of team 7 followed Haku outside.

Once outside Kakashi created a shadow clone. "Alright, you guys are going to go with my clone here and train. Just because we're fighting thugs instead of Zabuza and Haku is no excuse to slack off."

"What will we be learning?" Sakura asked.

"I'm going to teach you guys tree walking," Kakashi told her.

"I can do that already," Menma said.

Kakashi created a second clone. "Then you'll work on the next step."

"I can water walk too," he said flatly. "It's safe to be alone now that Zabuza and Haku aren't trying to kill us, right? How about I go scout the village and watch the thugs. I might pick something up."

With a nod from Kakashi the clone and three genin took off. He turned to the other clone. "You can guard Tazuna and tell him he won't have to worry about attacks from ninja anymore." The remaining clone took off leaving Kakashi and Haku to continue to Gatō's mansion.

* * *

Menma walked around the town for a couple of hours without much luck. Most of the villagers look on the verge of death, either physical or spiritual. '_That Gatō sure has crushed these people.'_ He looked at the food stand next to him. It was full of rotten and spoiled vegetables and fruits. '_Even the food looks dead.'_

As he examined the ruined food he spotted a pair of thugs that seemed to be going from shop to shop collecting 'protection' money. Their next stop was a rather large store with an alley right next to it.

Buying the oldest nastiest bit of produce the stall had, a rather rotten head of lettuce, he jogged over to the store. Looking down the alley he noticed it was nice and dark. '_Perfect.'_

Creating a clone, he handed it the rotten lettuce. "Make sure to hit one of those thugs nice and good with it, then run down the alley here." The clone nodded and settled down to wait for the pair.

Menma jogged halfway down the alley to the darkest section and crouched in the shadows. He pulled out a paralysis seal and waited.

The clone didn't have to wait long before the two greasy-looking thugs came out the door. He wound back and hurled the head of lettuce and watched as it exploded on one thug's face beautifully. The thug cried out and started choking and gagging. His friend turned to the clone with a look of fury and charged him with a wooden bat filled with nails. Menma watched calmly as the clone and first thug ran by before casually slapping the seal on the ground and waiting for the second thug. A few seconds later the second thug came trotting along still trying to clean his face off. As soon as he stepped on the seal Menma had him tied up and gagged. He had gotten a good enough look at him as he approached the alley, so he henged into him and dropped him down where he had just been hiding.

Walking towards the side of the alley the clone and first thug had gone he saw his clone again. "Lost him already? These guys are pathetic. The other one is bound back where I was hiding, go take him to Tazuna's so Kakashi can interrogate him." The clone nodding before running into the alley and out of sight.

It didn't take Menma more than a couple of minutes to find the other thug. He approached him while feigning illness. "Ugh, I think that rotten food did something to me. I don't feel good," he groaned out.

"Quit yer bitchin'," the other thug snarled. "Damn locals. Let's just go grab that stupid whore we were sent to get and go."

They travelled over to a poorer section of town to a house that looked like a strong wind would blow it over. The thug kicked the door down and entered. The thug exited shortly with a rather young and beautiful looking girl bound and hung over his shoulder with an old man hanging on his arm.

"Please, no! You can't take-"

CRACK. The old man staggered backwards and slumped to the ground with a groan.

"Shut up! You know the rules! You don't have any money, we take _other_ kinds of payment. Don't worry though, we'll take _real_good care of your granddaughter." He leered and roughly grabbed the sobbing girl's chest.

Menma frowned and followed after the thug as he slung the girl over his shoulder and carried her off.

"Sucks that Gatō gets all the pretty ones," the thug sneered, pinching the girl's butt.

"So why let him?" Menma asked. "We take her to the other base and tell him she wasn't there."

The other thug looked at him like he was crazy for a minute before cackling. "I like the way you think!"

"We can always hand her over when we're done. Tell him we went and hunted her down. He might even reward us for doing a 'good job'," Menma continued.

The thug laughed harder. "Hear that, girlie? You're gonna spend some quality time with us tonight!" The girl sobbed harder.

Menma narrowed his eyes. "We'll want to sneak her in, though. Wouldn't want anyone else to know about her before we're done."

The thug waved a hand. "Don't worry. The guards are lazy as hell over there anyways. We'll find a nice quiet tent in a corner somewhere." The thug pulled a filthy rag out of somewhere to shove in the girl's mouth. "Now, you be quiet. You stay quiet and we'll be gentle. You mess this up for us and, well... you won't like it."

* * *

Half an hour later they were approaching a camp.

"Alright, we'll just sit and wait here. Sooner or later one of them will get bored and wander off," the thug said. Sure enough a few minutes later one of them wandered off.

"Now we just have to do something about that one," the thug grumbled.

Menma stared at the guard. "No, we don't, he's asleep."

"Eh? You sure?" The thug asked.

"Watch," he said before casually walking up in front of the guard and waving a hand in his face. He then turned and waved the thug with the girl over and they strolled right in through the gate.

"Told ya, let's go over there, it's usually quiet," the thug told him.

Soon enough they found their quiet little tent. The thug threw the girl on the ground and started pulling off his armor with a lecherous grin. "Now for some fun, girlie. Remember, you keep quiet and we'll be gentle."

Menma discreetly pulled out a kunai and waited until he'd stripped off most of his armor before covering his mouth, turning him to the side, and slitting his throat.

The girl started freaking out and trying to scream through her gag when she saw the blood spray. Menma let the body slump to the ground before dropping the kunai and moving over to her. He clamped a hand over her mouth and quieted her.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you," he said and temporarily dropped his henge. "I'm a ninja here to guard Tazuna while he builds that bridge.

"Now, I'm going to cut your binds and pull that gag out of your mouth. I need you to stay calm, ok? I'll get you out of here unharmed." He carefully cut her bonds and pulled the gag out of her mouth.

"Thank you," she muttered.

"We'll probably have to wait until it's dark to get you out of here, ok?" He quickly created a clone. "Henge into this dead guy and go scout the place," he told it. The clone quickly changed and left.

Over the next couple of hours they had several close calls and even added two more bodies to the previous one. The clone appeared just as the sun was setting to tell him everything it had learned. Apparently the camp had gotten busier. More men had come from somewhere but it couldn't find out from where.

Menma frowned. "Trying to sneak back out is too risky. You stay as that guy. I'll henge back into the guy I was before." He looked at the girl. "I'm going to have to tie you back up for a while. We'll walk straight out the gate."

She didn't look too pleased with it but eventually allowed him to tie her back up.

As they approached the gate one of the guards stopped them.

"And just where the hell do you think you're going?" He asked.

"We're taking her to Gatō." Menma said, smacking the girl on the butt.

The guard took a look at the terrified girl's face before realizing who it was. "The hell is she doing here? She was supposed to go straight to him."

Menma shrugged. "Couple of guys thought they could sample the goods first. They're dead in a tent on the southeast side of camp. You know how it is."

The guard sighed. "We need to stop letting idiots sign up. There should be some sort of brain test or somethin' before you join. Alright, get going. Gatō doesn't like to be kept waiting."

With a nod Menma and his clone walked out into the forest. When they were far enough away Menma untied the girl and handed her over to his clone.

"Take her home, then dispel. I need to report to Kakashi." The clone gave a salute and took off with the girl.

* * *

The next evening team 7 was back at Zabuza's hideout. Kakashi had just finished going over the information he had about Gatō's mansion. As he was talking Menma had drawn up a rough map of the base he had spied on the other day.

"Did you find any useful information in the village, Menma?" Kakashi asked.

"Better, I infiltrated his other base," he replied, spreading the map he had drawn out on a table for the others to see.

"Entrances are here, here, and here," he said, pointing to the locations. "The slaves are kept in large cages here," he points to another location on the map. "And their numbers were right, for the most part. Near sunset, however, more popped up. I couldn't find out where they came from though."

"Impressive, brat," Zabuza praised him.

"With the distance it is from Gatō's mansion, if we hit it hard and fast enough we can have the slaves out and most of those men dead before he can react and get backup out there," Menma said.

Kakashi nodded. "We've still got 5 days or so until Zabuza recovers. We'll continue training until then. When Zabuza has finished recovering, we'll have one last meeting before our attack."

Kakashi took one last look at the map before putting it and the rest of his information away. '_Putting down a tyrant and liberating a country, these kids will have one hell of a story for their first C-rank.'_

* * *

**End Chapter 5**

**A/N:**

Last chapter I said Wave would wrap up in this one. I lied. Or rather, I was planning on doing the same old boring Wave that everyone has seen a million times with minor changes and decided, screw that. So, I'm changing it and hopefully making it more interesting.

Sorry if you guys catch any words running together. For some reason when I paste the documents in it'll do it randomly. They don't show up in the proofread tool thing, so it's a pain in the ass to find them. Let me know if you find any so I can fix them.


	7. Waves of Blood 3

**Chapter 6**

Kakashi was standing on the bridge watching Tazuna and his men work. It had been three days since the meeting with Zabuza. Menma had done a surprisingly good job when he scouted out that secondary base. Sasuke and Sakura had mastered tree climbing and were nearly just as good at water walking now.

As Kakashi mused he felt a chakra signature appear nearby. Turning he found Haku standing there with a frown on his face.

"Yo. Zabuza already healed up?" Kakashi asked with a wave.

"No. He still needs a couple of days until he is fully healed, but that's not why I'm here. We have a problem," the boy said. "It seems Gatō isn't going to wait for Zabuza-sama and I to make our move. He's been watching the bridge nearing completion and we fear he may make a move tomorrow."

Kakashi frowned at the news. The bridge was only a couple of days away from being finished. If Gatō was going to attack tomorrow it would throw their plans off.

"Tell Zabuza we'll meet tonight. We'll figure out what to do with Gatō then," Kakashi told him.

* * *

Later that evening team 7 had gathered at Zabuza's hideout once again.

"You're sure of this?" Kakashi asked.

"Yep, he's been gathering his men at his mansion. I saw it when I was out earlier," Zabuza replied.

"You really should stay in bed, Zabuza-sama. You'll heal faster," Haku said with a frown.

Zabuza grunted and muttered something about 'mother hens'.

Kakashi shook his head and turned to Sakura. "Perhaps you'd like to explain what your idea was now? We did go through the trouble of making sure the workers didn't show up tomorrow."

Sakura nodded before stepping forward. "I think we should move up our attack."

"And why, exactly, would we do that?" Kakashi asked.

"One of our main concerns with attacking the base was how quickly Gatō and his men could muster forces to retaliate, right? Well, the bridge is further away than his mansion is. It will give us a bigger window to work with," she explained.

"If there are no workers tomorrow, then why would Gatō be at the bridge?" Sasuke asked.

"Clones," Sakura told them. "Zabuza and Kakashi-sensei can make water clones and Menma can make those mud clones. If we have them all henge into workers to make it look like they're working on the bridge he'll show up. That will delay them from assisting the base."

The group nodded, it made sense.

"Not only that," she continued. "Even if they are just clones, they're still ninja clones. They could at least thin out his ranks a bit. That way help will take longer to show up, and there will be less to deal with when it does."

"You know, when I first saw you guys I thought Pinky there was useless." Zabuza said with a grin. "I guess she's not dead weight after all.

Sakura flushed and sputtered at his comment.

"It's well thought out. We'll strike in the morning after we confirm they're at the bridge." Kakashi spread out the map Menma had drawn. "Three entrances and six of us means three teams of two. Sasuke and I will be team one. Menma and Sakura, team two. Zabuza, you and Haku will be team three."

He pointed to the west entrance. "Sasuke and I will take the west." He pointed to the south entrance. "Zabuza, I'm sure you want to have some 'fun' so you and Haku will take the main entrance to the south here. Menma and Sakura will take the east."

Kakashi turned to Sakura. "Sakura, I want you in charge of getting the slaves out. Menma, do what you can to support her and try to drive any thugs towards the rest of us." Menma nodded.

Kakashi turned back to the table to roll up the map. "Meet us on the bridge at dawn to get the clones set up before we head for the base."

* * *

It was a few hours after dawn. The group had already stopped by the bridge and left enough clones to make it seem as though the village had redoubled its efforts to get the bridge built. They figured if they made it seem that some of the men who had quit had rejoined it would encourage Gatō to show up even more.

Menma and Sakura were hiding in the trees outside of the gate they were going to assault. It was a waiting game for now, waiting until Kakashi reported that Gatō was at the bridge.

"You nervous?" Sakura asked quietly.

Menma looked over at her and studied her. "This was your plan, Sakura, have a little more confidence."

"I know. It's just... this is our first big fight, you know? What if I mess up?"

"I'll be there to pick up the slack. That's why we're in pairs," he said. "I don't think we'll have to worry too much, though. They're simple thugs. Just keep your eyes open and you'll be fine.

Sakura nodded to herself. '_He's right. They're just thugs. I'm a ninja! This will be easy!'_

* * *

Gatō and his thugs arrived at the bridge to find the 'men' working. Looking around and not seeing any ninja, Gatō seemed to gain confidence.

"Today is the day you worthless villagers learn never to cross Gatō once and for all," the midget shouted. He pointed at the Tazuna clone. "Kill them all!"

An arrow sunk into Tazuna's head turning him into a pile of mud. The vicious smirk that Gatō had quickly disappeared as he looked around to find his men dying and the 'workers' dissolving into mud and water. "What? What's going on?!"

Just as he was screeching a thug ran up panting and wounded. "Attack... east base... ninja..."

"Damn it, it's a trick! Stop playing with these things and kill them, we have to get to the base!" Gatō shouted at his men.

It would take them some time to finish off the clones.

* * *

"Gatō is at the bridge. Team two, hang back a minute and let us start the attack. Once we have their attention get those slaves out of there." Kakashi's voice came over the radio. "Zabuza, you want to start us off?"

"Hell yeah!" A thick mist covered the area and moments later there was an explosion and sounds of fighting coming from the south gate. Before long the sounds of fighting could be heard coming from the west gate as well.

Sakura and Menma waited another two minutes until the base seemed to be in complete chaos. "Now!" The two shot out of the trees and blurred in through the now unguarded east gate. It took them only seconds to reach the cages buried inside the camp. Menma stood guard as Sakura went around to the cages breaking the looks and freeing the captives.

"Hurry, the east gate is clear. Let's get you out of here!" She shouted before leading them away.

Menma brought up the rear setting fire to everything he could on the south side of their path to encourage any enemies to flee towards the other two teams. He stopped when he noticed a building his clone hadn't been able to snoop around in when he was spying before. Quickly creating a clone he sent it to help Sakura as he went to check out the building.

"Team two here, the villagers are free." Sakura's voice reported over the radio.

"Good. Get them safely to the village then come back and help us clean up," Kakashi replied.

Knowing that Sakura and the villagers would be fine even if he didn't send a clone to help, Menma continued into the building. He had expected at least a few thugs but so far the place was completely empty. Sneaking through the halls he eventually came to what appeared to be a command room. Carefully checking the room for anyone he walked in after making sure it was clear.

'_Well this explains why he wasn't able to sneak in here,' _he thought. If this really were a command room they wouldn't let just anyone in.

Walking over to a large table he found several folders and a large map with four separate locations marked on it. He frowned at it. One of the locations marked was the base they were at right now and another looked like it was where Kakashi had said Gatō's mansion was. The third mark was the same size as the base they were currently attacking. Gatō's mansion was larger than the two, but that wasn't what worried him. He looked at the last mark and his frown deepened. The mark indicated that place was even larger than Gatō's mansion.

'_I hope these are future plans and not places that already exist.'_ He reached down to one of the files on the table and flicked it open. As he flipped through the pages it only got worse. '_Damn, Kakashi-sensei needs to see this.'_

He was so wrapped up in the file that he almost missed the sound of a sword cutting through the air. He dove to the side but still took a nasty cut to his right shoulder. Gritting his teeth in pain he pulled out a kunai and whirled around to parry the cut coming to take his head off. The enemy growled at this and went for a large swing. Menma dodged the attack causing the enemy to overextend. Seeing the opening he delivered a bone-crushed kick to his chest and sent him flying through a wall. As his enemy went through the wall he thought he saw the flash of metal on his forehead but shook it off.

Just as he was going to turn to gather up all the information on the desk, two large men entered the door, and there on their foreheads...

'_Shit. I wasn't imagining things, he really does have ninja working for him.'_ Menma frowned.

He readied his kunai and waited for the two to attack. The two charged at him simultaneously. Menma threw his kunai at the one on the right, forcing him to dodge and slow him down to stagger their attacks. He quickly snaked his hand into his pouch and ducked under the attack of the first enemy that had lunged at him with a kunai of his own. When he tried to retaliate the man jumped back, only feeling a light swipe across his stomach.

"Hah, you missed!" He sneered.

"Nope." Menma jumped back putting more distance between them making a single hand sign as he did so. The exploding tag on his stomach went off killing him.

The second enemy who had still been in range of blast had been blown into a wall. Pulling himself out he roared and charged at Menma like an enraged bull. Menma quickly drew another kunai to defend himself. The first blow he blocked hit hard enough to make him stagger back a few steps and jarred his injured shoulder, sending a lance of pain through him.

'_Tch, hits like a truck.'_

The blows didn't stop as Menma was reeling back. Each blow was as hard as the last and they kept coming faster and faster.

'_Fast... too fast! Shit!'_ Menma realized he was being backed into a corner. As he was being forced back something odd happened. The blows looked like they were beginning to slow but he was still barely managing to block them. With a heavy attack the enemy ninja broke his guard and flung him against a wall.

"It's over." The ninja said. Just as the kunai was about to come down and kill him the man's chest sprouted a spike of steel followed by a spray of blood.

The man gurgled and slumped to the floor revealing a pale and shaking Sakura. "I... I killed..."

Menma breathed out a sigh and placed his good hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Sakura. You saved me."

"Uh... yeah... sure. " She looked up at him and blinked. "Your eye changed. It looks like the Sharingan."

Menma raised his kunai to his face to look at his reflection. His eye was red with two tomoe in it. "Sharingan... am I an Uchiha? Is that who my parents were?!" He grunted and grabbed his wounded shoulder.

"Ah, you're injured! We need to get that taken care of." Sakura said worriedly.

Menma waved her off. "No, it can wait. We need to gather that stuff up," he said pointing to the table. "Gatō and his men will be here any minute. Let's grab it and meet up with the others."

Sakura quickly gathered up all the materials on the table and sealed them into a scroll while Menma pulled the headband off the ninja and slipped it into a pocket. As they were leaving the building Menma turned to Sakura. "How did you get here so fast? You are supposed to be guarding the villagers we freed."

"_We_ were supposed to protect them," she said with a glare. "On the way back I tripped and you caught me. But you t-touched my b-b-br-" she flushed darkly. "There was an accident! I... sort of hit your clone and turned him into goo."

Menma stared at her flatly before lowering his gaze. As his gaze slowly dropped to her chest she turned darker and darker. "I see. Come on, let's meet up with the others."

The two hurried over to where Kakashi and Sasuke were to find them setting traps. Shortly after Zabuza and Haku arrived.

"You guys ready to go?" Kakashi asked setting his last trap.

"Yeah, we're ready. It's a shame we can't stick around," Zabuza grumbled.

Menma handed Kakashi the scroll of information. "We're ready too."

Kakashi gave Menma a curious look as he clutched his bleeding shoulder. "Let's go. We've finished what we came here to do and I'd rather not be here when Gatō shows up with more men."

Gatō and his thugs showed up minutes later. "Get in there and get those fires out! Find the ninja that did this and kill them!"

The sounds of multiple traps could be heard going off as his men rushed forward. Gatō grit his teeth in anger. In the end, he only lost more men, as most of the buildings were rigged with explosive tags.

* * *

The group had returned to Zabuza's hideout after the attack. Sasuke was sitting in a corner and seemed infinitely pleased with himself. Haku was treating Menma's shoulder wound while showing Sakura the proper methods and which herbs would help with the healing process. Zabuza was relaxing. Kakashi was pouring over the information that Menma and Sakura had retrieved and was becoming increasingly worried.

With a subtle gesture Kakashi beckoned Zabuza over to look at the map. Menma caught the motion and discretely listened in while the two began to talk.

"Know anything about this?" Kakashi questioned Zabuza.

"Plans for the future, maybe? That's the base we just hit, and that's Gatō's place right there," he replied, pointing at the map.

Kakashi nodded and quietly placed a folder on the table. "I hope they're only plans, but this folder leads me to believe he's already started."

Zabuza picked the folder up and began looking through it. Menma's wounds were finished being treated and wrapped so he stood, pulled an item out of his coat pocket and walked over to the table.

"He _has_ started," he said, tossing a bloodied headband on the table. The symbol on it was the same as the symbol for Gatō's company. "This belonged to one of the ninja that attacked me."

Kakashi frowned and sealed everything back into the scroll before turning to Zabuza. "You feel like talking a walk?"

"Got nothing better to do," he said.

Kakashi turned to his team. "You guys head back to the Tazuna's house. I'll be back this evening."

* * *

Kakashi and Zabuza had already confirmed the existence of the second base and were headed for the fourth and largest mark on the map. They stopped in some trees on a small cliff overlooking a clearing. In front of them stood a massive castle-like structure with the beginnings of walls being built around it.

"I didn't think the little bastard was actually trying it," Zabuza said quietly.

Kakashi sighed. This mission had just gotten a lot more complicated. There was no doubt in his mind now that Gatō would seize control of the bridge once it was complete. He quickly pulled out a scroll and wrote a message before summoning one of his dogs and sending it to Konoha.

Their simple C-rank protection from bandits mission had just become a mission to topple a tyrant and liberate a country.

Gatō was setting himself up as the Daimyō of Wave.

* * *

**End Chapter 6**

**A/N:**

I've got a question for people. I've been keeping the chapters between 2-4k words each. Is that length good? Do you like the quick updates with 2-4k chapters? Or would you rather have slower updates and longer chapters?


	8. Waves of Blood 4

**Chapter 7**

_(In Konoha)_

Hiruzen and Kurenai were sitting in the Hokage office chatting when the door was violently thrown open.

"Hokage-sama! Urgent message from Team 7!" A man carrying a wounded dog.

"Pakkun?" The Hokage took the scroll from the little dog. "Get him some treatment."

"Before that, you should know that guy is blocking all travel to and from Wave now. I was barely able to get past before he got everything locked down."

"Thank you Pakkun," the old man told him as he read the scroll. "Go ahead and get patched up."

The messenger carried the pug out to get him patched up leaving the two alone in the office again. Hiruzen finished reading the scroll and turned to stare out the window. He would love to send Kakashi everything he wanted and more, but with the most of his forces already deployed elsewhere he couldn't send them much without raising the suspicions of the council, or a certain warhawk. No doubt his response would be to roll through the nation crushing both Wave and this Gatō alike.

_'Being unable to send a large force will leave most of the burden on Team 7, leaving them to fight a war by themselves.'_ Hiruzen frowned. They could very well find themselves in some bad situations, and with who was on the team...

_'I know just who to send.'_ Hiruzen turned to find Kurenai still there giving him a curious look. "Ah, Kurenai, let's continue our chat about young Yakumo another time."

"Has something happened with Kakashi's team?"

"Apparently the client wasn't fully aware of the danger they faced. It seems Team 7 has found themselves in the middle of a brewing war." The old man pulled out a pipe, lit it, and calmly inhaled the smoke. "I won't be able to send the reinforcements they are requesting, but I can send some help, at least."

Kurenai jumped to her feet. "They're only genin! They should be recalled!"

"You heard what Pakkun said. It will be easier for skilled ninja to sneak in than it would for Team 7 to sneak out."

"Then send out a battalion!" She shouted.

Hiruzen stared at her then pulled his hat off his head and held it out to her. "Perhaps you would like to wear this hat then?"

Kurenai flushed with a look of horror on her face. "F-forgive me, Hokage-sama. I was speaking out of turn."

He replaced the hat on his head and turned back to the window. "You may not like it, Kurenai, but I am doing what I can for them without drawing any unwanted attention their way."

Kurenai frowned and bowed briefly to his back. "By your leave, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen stared out at the bright sunny sky as he smoked. He was already getting a headache just thinking of the fit the council would throw if Team 7 came back missing either their precious 'weapon' or the last Uchiha. _'Bring them home safely, Kakashi.'_

* * *

Kurenai was sitting at a table with an untouched bottle of saké in front of her at a local bar later that night.

"Nai-chan! Why the troubled face? If you're trying to find a man you should add more pout to it!" A voice called out to her as a body draped itself across her back. "Although the troubled look is cute too."

_'Of course she would be the one to find me.'_ Kurenai thought, pushing the sake bottle over a spot so Anko would be redirected to it.

Anko quickly dropped into the chair and poured herself a drink which was quickly downed. She sighed happily. "If you had dango and a dick I'd marry you." Kurenai gave her a half-hearted glare in return. "So? Spill it."

Kurenai sighed and thought back over what she had heard in the Hokage office as well as learned when she had looked into the mission Team 7 had received. "It's just... Team 7 was assigned a mission that was horribly mis-ranked. They're basically fighting a war over in Wave. I can't help but wonder what would happen if it were my team."

"You don't think they would be able to handle it?"

"I don't know. I thought they were doing well, and I was going to nominate them for the upcoming chūnin exams, but..." She trailed off getting lost in thought.

"You know, if those brats survive they'll come back stronger than yours." Anko told her. "Besides, the exams are here this year, so you might as well nominate your brats. Even if they don't make it this time, they'll at least get experience for the next exam. It'll be safer for them to experience them first here than in some other village."

Kurenai nodded. "You're right. They need the experience and I have trained them pretty hard. I'm sure they'll do fine."

"Alright! I'll get more playthings for my exam!" Anko shouted with a fist raised in victory.

Kurenai gave her another glare. "You just want to torture my students."

"Hey, I won't hurt them... much," Anko replied.

Kurenai stood and dropped some money on the table to pay her tab. "Thanks Anko, I think I'm going to go work out a better training schedule for my team." With a wave she walked off.

Neither noticed a local gossip who had managed to catch most of their conversation sitting nearby. _'A team fighting a war in Wave? Ooooh, this is too good to pass up.'_ The woman quickly hurried out to tell her friends. It would only take a few days for the village to know there was a war happening in Wave and that it was being fought by a single team.

* * *

_(In Wave)_

It was evening, two days after Kakashi and Zabuza had confirmed the existence of Gatō's castle. Tazuna and the villagers had finished their bridge that morning. At first, the villagers had all been ecstatic, then they saw the blockade on the far end of the bridge. Their hope for saving their country had taken a severe blow that day.

Zabuza and Haku had joined Team 7 in Tazuna's kitchen to plan their next move.

"We should strike again while we have the advantage." Sasuke said. "We still have the momentum from the last battle. If we strike now we can deal a harsh blow to Gatō while it's unexpected."

"And then what?" Argued Haku. "Let the village get wiped out in retaliation?"

"Gatō won't wipe out the village," Kakashi said. "All along he's been trying to crush their spirit. With him blocking all access to the outside world even with the bridge complete, he's done just that. The villagers all look like the walking dead."

"With Gatō being forced to block the bridge and his first base destroyed he has very few men left in the village. If we strike another base and force him to withdraw completely the villagers can start farming again. They could become self-sufficient, to a degree, without Gatō stepping on them all the time." Menma looked at the map. "It's a shame we can't just burn one to the ground."

Sasuke who had also been examining the map spoke up. "Who says we can't?"

Tazuna, who had been sitting in a corner nursing a bottle spoke up. "And how do you plan to do that, brat? The mist will make it hard, you likely saw that when you attacked his other base."

"Oil," Sasuke said. "We gather oil from the villagers, set a bomb here-" He stabbed a finger at Gatō's mansion. "and burn the place down."

"Nobody is gonna give you their oil, boy," Tazuna sneered.

"Even if we tell them we're going to burn down Gatō's mansion? They know we destroyed his base and freed everyone that was captive there, that has to count for something, right?."

Tazuna grunted. "I s'pose some of them might believe in you enough to give you some."

Kakashi, who had been listening to Sasuke planning quietly turned to Zabuza. "How is this place set up?"

"Well," Zabuza started, "His mansion is in the center. It's a good-sized building. Around that you have various other buildings, armory, housing for his men, that sort of thing. Around the outside there's a wooden wall. It's set up like a miniature ninja village."

"So if we set the bomb on top of his mansion it would spread oil over a good portion of the place?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, it would, the place isn't anywhere near the size of a real village," Zabuza replied. "Your problem will be getting it in there. There are four entrances each guarded by two men. These guys won't be stupid enough to fall asleep on the job or wander off for a drink like at the first base."

"Professionals then," Kakashi said. "They would investigate a disturbance though?"

"Of course," Zabuza replied.

"I can handle a disturbance. So once we get a gate clear, how do we get the bomb in there?"

"We just carry it in," Sasuke said. "Or rather, clones will. I doubt anyone wants to be covered in flaming oil."

"I'll do it," Menma volunteered.

"No, you're injured. I want you taking it easy," Kakashi told him. "I'll do it."

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm already fully healed."

"Just the same, I want you taking it easy," he said. "No one normally heals that fast."

Menma gave him a knowing stare before sighing and relenting.

"When do we attack? If we're going to do it before Gatō is ready it will have to be soon." Haku said.

"We'll spend tomorrow gathering what oil we can from the villagers and attack the following morning," Kakashi said. "At, say, four in the morning."

"Why four?" Sakura asked.

"Uh... because Gatō has four bases?" Kakashi said.

"You just picked a random number, didn't you?" Sakura asked him with a flat stare.

Kakashi waved his hand. "Anyways, we'll collect the oil tomorrow. Zabuza, you and Haku spy on the mansion, see if you can figure anything out to help us."

* * *

Menma waited outside the west gate of Gatō's mansion. He was joined by Haku and, temporarily, Kakashi and several clones of his with a large barrel between them. The villagers had given far more oil than the group had thought they would. It seemed many of them had given up and didn't care what the ninja took.

Menma looked on with a frown. He wasn't very pleased with his role in this battle. He was stuck with a relatively minor support role as Kakashi was worried over his supposed injury. With Gatō's remaining base to the north and his castle to the northeast they didn't expect many men to be leaving the west or south gates. Sasuke and Sakura were taking the south, while Kakashi had the east. Zabuza, demanding some 'fun' had taken the north gate and likely the lion's share of fleeing enemies.

The two boys watched as Kakashi pulled out a scroll, nicked his thumb, and smeared blood along the length of it. A group of dogs appeared out of the smoke. "Alright, you guys stay here and make a racket until I summon you to the next spot." With those words, Kakashi blurred off towards the south gate.

The two guards at the west gate immediately looked off into the woods towards the sound of several dogs howling. It continued for several minutes before one growled. "Damn, if those things are pissing me off. I'll go check it out, you stay here."

As the man stalked off into the woods the group of Kakashi clones rushed the gate with the barrel between them. Haku, who had followed them, had hit the remaining guard with several senbon, temporarily knocking him out. Once the Kakashi clones had made it through he pulled out the senbon and moved back into the forest.

As the guard was nearing the location of the howling dogs they suddenly went quiet. "The hell? Did they hear me coming?" Moments later he heard the howling again, this time from off to the south. The guard looked around for several more seconds before shaking his head and returning to his gate. The other guard had recovered before he came out of the forest and sat there rubbing his head.

"Nothin' out there when I got there," the first guard said. The second just nodded dumbly, trying to figure out why he suddenly had a splitting headache.

The process repeated at the south gate, without the clones or the remaining guard getting knocked out. Just as the one investigating the sound was about to find the dogs, the howling stopped, only to start moments later outside the east gate.

BOOM

An ear-splitting explosion rocked the night. The villagers were startled awake with many looking out their windows to find a huge fire spewing black smoke into the sky in the distance.

Back at the mansion the guards were running around in a hysterical frenzy. They were being haunted by ghost hounds that would vanish before they could be found, the sky was raining fire, there was a heavy mist blocking the northeast forest, and the air around the mansion was filled with smoke, choking the men. The ground to the north had been turned into a bloody swamp that trapped the men so they could be cut down by demons. The west gate had been frozen solid. The ice didn't melt even to the seemingly hell-fueled fires that surrounded them. Those fleeing to the south met tooth and fang. The snarling and snapping had the guards convinced the ghost hounds lie that way. The gate to the east had the sound of thousands of chirping birds and flashes of lightning. They were trapped in hell and they were all going to die.

It took only half an hour to rout the forces stationed in the mansion. Unfortunately Gatō had left the mansion that day for the castle, taking along a group of men and the fortune he had amassed and stolen from the villagers. Even so, they had struck a second decisive blow to Gatō and hadn't suffered any casualties.

Kakashi could only hope their luck would hold out.

* * *

Two days later Gatō stood outside the west gate of the smoldering ruins with a small army of thugs. He glared at the remains of the gate. There, in a shadow that remained all day long, he saw a small chunk of ice.

_'Betray me, will you? I'll make you, and that little brat, suffer. You'll beg for death before I kill you.'_

Gatō stomped away from his former mansion. He had plans to make and heads to collect.

* * *

The following morning, just as the sun was starting to rise a man wearing a cat mask with green and red markings on it was leaping through the trees towards Wave. As he landed in a tree he looked down to find a boy staggering through the woods supporting a heavily wounded man dragging a massive sword.

"Hang on, Zabuza-sama. Once we get to Tazuna's house I'll have you patched up in no time," the boy gasped out.

_'Tazuna? Team 7's client?'_ The masked man dropped down in front of the pair, startling the boy. "You are friends of Tazuna?"

The boy eyed him warily. "Not... exactly. You don't work for Gatō, do you?"

"I do not."

"We're friends of the ninja he hired," the boy told him.

Thinking back on the information he had the masked man decided to test the young man. "Sakura?"

The boy blinked at the random name before figuring it out. "Are you... the support Kakashi said was coming? Where are the rest?" He looked around trying to spot more people.

"Can you lead me to where Team 7 is staying?"

The boy nodded. "If you can help me carry Zabuza-sama we'll get there much quicker."

* * *

Menma was the one to answer the door when they arrived several hours later.

"Haku? Whoa, what happened?" He asked, looking at Zabuza and stepping aside to let them enter. "And who is that?"

"Tenzō." Kakashi said in surprise as saw the group enter.

"Ah, Kakashi-senpai. I look forward to working with you again," the masked man replied.

Menma led Haku to a room to lay Zabuza in before fetching Sakura. He let the two of them work on Zabuza as he went back to where Kakashi and the masked man were.

"-nt two of us, but during our crossing we were ambushed. My teammate was struck and killed by an arrow. I'm sorry, but there won't be anyone else coming to help." Menma heard the man finish as he walked back into the room.

Kakashi sighed. "Well it's better than getting no help at all." He then briefed Tenzō on the situation. Explaining how they had destroyed Gatō's mansion and one base so far, leaving another base and the castle left.

"With Zabuza wounded and Gatō on alert we should probably lay low for a bit. Luckily it seems that seeing Gatō's mansion turn into a firebomb breathed some life back into the villagers. We've had men showing up at the door armed and ready to fight all morning," Kakashi said.

The two men sat in silence thinking things over.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, you never told us you were a summoner," Menma said. Sasuke perked up at hearing mention of summoning.

"It's not a true summoning. It only applies for my personal group of dogs," Kakashi told him.

"Still, it could be incredibly useful. Mind if I take a look at the scroll?" Menma asked.

"As long as all you're doing is looking," Kakashi told him.

"Don't worry. I just want to see the seals used in the process."

Kakashi nodded and tossed him the scroll.

"Thanks. I'll return it in a bit." With that, Menma found a secluded place to copy the scroll down. He noted which parts linked the scroll to Kakashi's dogs and left them blank. He remembered hearing in the academy that if the technique was performed without signing a contract first, and you qualified for one, it would teleport the user to the creatures you had an affinity for.

Bracing himself he went through the hand signs. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" His world temporarily went black.

_Drip. Drip._

_'God damn it.'_

* * *

**End Chapter 7**

**A/N:**

One or two chapters left for Wave at this point. Menma will get something flashy before the end of the arc, if you can't figure out what it is I'll smack you.


	9. Waves of Blood 5

**serialkeller: **Yep. It'll be a double-edged sword most likely. If you think of how Konoha usually reacts to Sasuke (at least in fanfiction) you'll be able to figure it out easily enough.

**Felicity Dream:** I'm glad you decided to stick around. The change from Naruto to Menma is mostly symbolic. He'll learn his heritage eventually but I haven't decided if he'll take it up or not. As for Mizuki - out of the hundreds of fan fictions I've read, Mizuki has been a good guy in a grand total of ONE. Maybe I just have bad luck and miss them all, but I felt I should give him a break. Plus he felt like a better fit for Menma for the big brother role.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

_(Flashback)_

It had been about two weeks since Team 7 passed their bell test from Kakashi. It had also been one of the rare occasions where they had missions all day. Or rather, mission. It had been a particularly long and grueling day of wiping baby butts and runny noses and listening to children scream in their ears.

The mission had ended an hour ago and Menma headed straight for a training ground. He wanted to hurt something. Badly.

Beating up some unfortunate passing civilian seemed like a bad idea, so he took it out on some unfortunate stationary logs.

The mental stress of babysitting several things he was sure weren't even human combined with the physical stress of beating the unliving shit out of logs finally overcame him.

He briefly worried, just before he passed out, that the nightmares he got every time he fell asleep would consist of more babysitting.

_Drip. Drip._

Instead he found himself in a relatively quiet sewer.

_Drip. Drip._

It could even be called peaceful.

_Drip. Drip._

Ok, screw that, he had to find a way out of this nightmare before it drove him insane.

He spent what felt like an eternity wandering around lost in the tunnels listening to that infernal dripping. Eventually he came across massive iron gates with a little sheet of paper stuck to the front of them.

"Seal?" What the hell was going on?

"**Come to visit me at last, _M_**_**aster**_**?" **A voice dripping venom said.

Looking into the bars he saw a giant red furry creature. He glanced back up to the gate. '_This must be... the Kyūbi? Only one way to find out.'_

"I am not your master, _Kyūbi, _just your jailor."

The beast turned its massive head to glance over its shoulder at him with a single eye. "**Why are you here, hairless monkey?"**

"I don't know. Normally I have nightmares when I pass out," he replied.

"**Ah, yes, lovely aren't they? All that blood. All that death. All that destruction." **The beast stood and turned to face him with a maniacal grin on its face.

"Wait, you're the one that causes those? Knock it off!" Menma shouted angrily.

"**The nightmares will stop if you pull off that piece of paper on the gate, stupid chimp."**

Menma gave the beast a flat stare. "How stupid do you think I am?"

"**Stupid enough to pull that paper off? No? Well then, I'll stop giving you those nightmares if you pull it off. I give you my word, malformed orangutan."**

"You're still asking me to pull of that paper," he pointed out.

"**PULL IT OFF YOU WORTHLESS APE!"**

"Stop comparing me to primates, damn it!" Menma roared.

Kyūbi grinned maliciously. "**But that's exactly what humans are, you tailless lemur."**

"Argh! Stay in here and rot, you furry bastard!" Menma stomped off into the tunnels to the sound of the Kyūbi's mocking laughter. It only took another hour of listening to water drip and the Kyūbi laugh until he finally woke up.

_(End Flashback)_

* * *

Menma walked up to the gate and immediately started talking before the Kyūbi could insult him.

"Listen up, hairball. I just did a contract-less summon and wound up in here. If you keep the names to yourself and help me with the contract I'll let you out to play once in a while."

"**You can summon me by pulled that tag off." **The Kyūbi grinned.

"I'm serious, asshole. You want to get out of the seal, right? I'm not going to kill myself to let you out, so this is the only way," Menma growled out.

"**That seal won't allow some random piece of paper to summon me,"**Kyūbi told him.

Menma frowned, of course it couldn't be that easy. The only way to allow that would be to alter the seal, and who knows what problems _that_could cause.

"What if I applied the summoning contract to my body and linked it to the seal somehow? Would that work?" Menma asked, pacing in front of the cage.

"**It could, or it could blow us both up."**

"Since you behaved, I'll try to work something out. With the lull in our fight against Gatō I'll have some free time for a while." Menma pointed at him. "Don't cause any problems, fleabag!"

With those last words, he vanished from his mindscape.

* * *

Two weeks had passed as they trained under Kakashi and Tenzō. Kakashi was working with Sasuke to teach him his signature technique, Chidori. Sakura, with an affinity for earth, was learning elemental techniques under Tenzō. Menma had poured himself into seals, trying to find a way to summon Kyūbi.

Which led him to his current problem. He was actually making headway in the seal he would need. He would rather not have his team fly off the handle if he summoned Kyūbi in an upcoming battle.

He also noted that it had been nearly three weeks since their assault on Gatō's first base and Sakura had still not told a soul about his Sharingan. He decided he would tell his team about it that evening and depending on how it went, tell them about Kyūbi.

That evening after they had eaten and the client's family had retired the team sat around the table.

"There's something you should all know," Menma said. After everyone focused on him he activated his Sharingan.

"What? How?! When?" Sasuke jumped to his feet in shock.

Tenzō's face was hidden behind his cat mask so who knows what he thought. Kakashi didn't seem to react at all. Sakura just gave him a small smile.

"I don't know how. I've had this eye for as long as I can remember. As for when? When we assaulted Gatō's first base it activated when I received that wound."

"For as long as you can remember. You were born with it?" Sasuke stared at the eye.

"I guess. I don't remember ever losing an eye and I don't have a scar like Kakashi-sensei." Menma nodded towards the cyclops.

"You were born with it," Kakashi stated. "I saw you less than an hour after you were born and you had that eye."

"So... he's an Uchiha? He's... family?" Sasuke asked quietly.

Kakashi shrugged. "Seems so."

Menma gave them a sad smile. "I guess my blood was pretty weak since I only got the one."

Sasuke stared at him thoughtfully. "It doesn't matter. You're still Uchiha. We need to get your name changed once we get back to Konoha."

"There's something you should know first." Menma glanced briefly at Tenzō and Kakashi. "Do you remember what we learned about the Kyūbi in the academy?" The two older men stiffened at the question.

"Yeah, what about it?" Sasuke asked.

"Didn't anything about the story seem odd to you?"

Sakura frowned. "What's wrong with the story?"

Menma turned to her. "What is the Kyūbi?"

"Uh... a monster made out of chakra?" The girl was clearly confused.

Menma nodded. "And when was the last time you heard of _chakra_being killed or dying?"

Sasuke and Sakura's eyes widened at the question.

"It can't be killed and it doesn't die. So what do you do with it?" Menma asked. "You seal it away." He lifted up his shirt and channeled chakra to make the seal visible.

The other genin sat shell-shocked. Menma glanced over at the two older men again before continuing.

"A lot of the villagers ignore me because of it. Like they're trying to deny my, and its, existence," he said. "Some of them hate me and others are disgusted I'm alive. Are you sure you want all that tied to your clan name?"

Sasuke looked up at him and nodded firmly. "I already told you it didn't matter. As far as I'm concerned you're already Uchiha Menma. All that's left is the paperwork to make it official."

"Great! So uh..." Menma looked over at Kakashi. "That summon contract I've been working on? Don't freak out if you see a giant fox, ok? Ok."

Menma quickly stood and rushed out of the room.

Kakashi sighed and watched his student run out of the room. What was it Nara's said? Troublesome?

* * *

It had been a month now since Gatō's mansion burned. As they had planned, most of his forces had pulled back to defend his remaining base, his castle, and to blockade Wave off from Fire country. The occasional small group of thugs would gather and try to raid the village, but the local volunteers eager to get revenge fended them off. With each success more and more of the villagers found new hope and joined up.

It had reached the point where they could risk leaving the villagers to defend for themselves long enough to strike at Gatō's second base. If they took that out, he would only have his castle left.

Zabuza wasn't up to one hundred percent yet but the longer they waited the more men Gatō would recruit from the mainland to help suppress Wave.

The problem was they needed to do something they hadn't tried before. If they tried the same tricks Gatō would likely see through it and the attack would be a failure.

Kakashi had scouted the base a few days ago to see if he could learn anything else. The base was built on a small hill with the north side being built right up to the edge of a cliff that dropped off into the ocean. In the last month they had cut down all the trees on the hill leaving it open and void of any cover they could use while attacking.

"I say we just blow the whole place to hell." Zabuza was a simple man, and enjoyed simple pleasures - like watching spineless cowards being blown into tiny bits. And cutting people. That was always fun.

"We're not going to be able to get near enough with a bomb for that. They'll see us coming and kill us before we can set it." Sasuke replied flatly.

"What if we set explosive tags along the cliff face? Could we collapse the base into the water?" Haku stuck by his master. Even if it was a simple plan, it was his duty to follow.

"The explosion wouldn't reach inland far enough to destroy it all." Sakura studied the map. "At most, it would take a third? Maybe half of the base if we're lucky."

Tenzō looked at the map over Sakura's shoulder. "What if we could bury more explosive tags in the ground? How far in would they have to be buried?"

Sakura thought for a moment before tracing a line with her finger parallel to the coast. "Around here. Why?"

"If you figure out where to plant the tags, I can make tunnels to take us directly to the spot we need," he told her.

"I can do that. Now all we need are hundreds of explosive tags." Everyone turned to look at Menma.

Menma could only sigh.

* * *

_(Outside Gatō's base)_

Menma was starting to think that demanding a more interesting job for this attack might not have been such a good idea.

Sasuke, Kakashi, and Zabuza had been on watch, making sure no one from the base found out what was going on. Sakura and Tenzō were using tunnels to plant explosive tags on the inland side underneath the base. Haku and Menma were climbing the cliff face planting the tags they would need out there.

They wanted sunlight to be able to see properly during the attack but they couldn't be caught planting the tags, so they had started several hours before dawn.

"We've set all our tags. We're on our way out." Tenzō said over the radio.

"Haku. Menma. You two need to hurry. The sun is starting to rise." Kakashi this time.

"Yeah, well we didn't have the luxury of our own little highway. It's not exactly easy climbing cliffs in the dark, you know," Menma growled.

A few minutes later they heard a series of muffled thumping sounds.

"Uh... please tell me that's not the tags going off underground already. We're not done yet," Menma said over the radio.

"We're not sure what it is. I sent Zabuza back to the village to find out what's going on," Kakashi's voice came over the radio.

Moments later they heard it again, only this time it wasn't so muffled and came from behind them. The cliff to Menma's left exploded making him jump before whipping his head around to look behind and below him.

He first noticed something that had missed during the night, a massive dock. His gaze then lifted out into the water beyond to where he saw three ships, all lined up to fire at the cliff side. He slammed himself as close to the cliff face as possible as another explosion of rock and dirt went off above his head.

"Ships! They've got ships and they're firing-" He jerked his head to the right as he heard an explosion in time to find Haku plummeting into the ocean. "HAKU!"

The world exploded. Pain flashed through Menma's body. His vision went white and his ears heard nothing but silence. He felt weightless. '_Is this what death feels like?' _The thought didn't last long as he slammed backwards into something knocking the air out of him. It felt wet. '_Water. I was on a cliff.' _His vision cleared and his ears began to ring. He could see that he was, indeed, in the ocean. His gaze drifted to where the cliff should be. It was gone. Not just the base, but the entire cliff, was _gone._His gaze drifted skyward as he began to slip into the water. Massive chunks of earth were crashing into the ocean, churning it up. It looked like it was raining mountains. As he sank into the ocean he had one last thought.

'_We might have gone overboard with the tags.'_

His world faded into black.

* * *

_(Wave Village)_

When Zabuza arrived in the village he found dozens of houses destroyed or burning. Looking out towards the ocean he saw six warships with their cannons pointed towards the village.

The militia that had formed over the past month were split roughly in half. Half of them trying to evacuate the village, while the other half seemed to be preparing themselves to meet the thugs that were charging across the bridge.

"He's attacking the village, Kakashi. That sound we were hearing was a bunch of warships leveling the place. I can also see a lot of small fry on the way," Zabuza said over his radio.

A loud and long explosion ripped across the island then. The ground shook like there was an earthquake. The chaos in the village jumped up a notch as the ground quaked.

"What the hell was that?" Zabuza asked over his radio. Several seconds passed. "Kakashi!"

"It was the base sinking into the sea. Hold the enemy off, we're on the way."

Zabuza grunted and waved the rest of the militia off to go help with the evacuation. "Glad I get some fun, at least. I thought this mission would be boring. Kirigakure no Jutsu!"

* * *

_(Wave Coastline)_

Menma slowly opened his eyes. The sky was bright and clear and he could feel the sun on him. A shadow crossed his face and he found himself staring up at large dark brown eyes filled with concern. The figure was wet. Long black hair clung to pale skin. He could see pink lips moving but couldn't hear anything. All in all, it was a rather exotic sight.

'_Death might not be so bad if I'm surrounded by cute girls like her.'_ His gaze drifted down. '_Flat as a board though... she's even flatter than Sakura.' _He blinked. '_Those clothes...'_

"-you alright?" He recognized that voice.

'_Awe shit.' _He went to curse but coughed up water instead.

"Good. That should be the last of it. I was worried I would have to continue trying to resuscitate you," Haku said.

"Yeah, I'm fi- wait! Continue?!" Menma shook his head. "No, don't say anything. I don't want to know. This never happened, alright?"

"It will be hard pretending I didn't see anything. I might need incentive," Tenzō's voice came from behind him.

Menma could only groan. "What are you doing here?"

"I was sent to see if either of you survived. I'm glad to see you're both fine," Tenzō explained.

"Was the base destroyed?" Haku cut in.

"It was, however Gatō's men are attacking the village. We should hurry to support the others."

As they set out Menma turned to Haku. "How did you survive? I thought you got hit."

"It's embarrassing to admit, but I slipped."

"You slipped. _You?_You have perfect chakra control," Menma said.

"I wanted to conserve my strength so I wasn't using chakra."

Menma shook his head. "Embarrassing or not, you slipping saved both our lives."

* * *

_(Wave Village)_

Zabuza enjoyed himself at first. A never-ending stream of people just throwing themselves at him to get cut up, it was like a game. The problem was that they just kept coming. There comes a point where sheer numbers will overwhelm skill, and Zabuza was quickly reaching that point. In an effort to conserve energy he stopped maintaining the mist.

He started taking injuries then. They were pushing him back towards the center of the village. His arms were burning. He was soaked in blood. '_Where the hell do they keep coming from?!' _After what felt like an eternity their numbers finally started to thin out.

As Zabuza cut down the last thug he stood, propping himself up with the Kubikiribōchō, panting.

Kakashi and his group came rushing up. "You're late. I had to fight Gatō's army off alone."

Kakashi grinned and waved a hand. "Well, you see, we got lost on the road of life."

"You're an asshole." Zabuza struggled to stand. His previous injuries combined with the ones he had just taken were making it difficult. Especially the nasty one to his left leg. "Where are the other three? Where's Haku?"

"They're... coming. I'm sure they're fine," Kakashi replied. "Let's help finish the evacuation."

None noticed a new mist rolling in as they helped get the villagers to safety.

Tenzō, Haku, and Menma arrived in the village just as the last of the villagers was led into the forest by the militia.

"I thought you said the village was under attack," Menma said with a frown.

"It is. Or it was, let's find the others," Tenzō replied.

The three met up with the rest of the group in the center.

"They had six warships lined up blasting away. They're probably still out there just waiting for this mist to clear to finish the job." They could hear Zabuza speaking as they approached the group.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted them with a wave. "Glad to see you two are ok."

"Kakashi-senpai, where are the villagers? Is the attack already over?"

"The villagers are all evacuated. The attack... I'm not so sure about. It's too quiet," Kakashi replied.

"It's quiet, because we were settin' a trap for ya," a random thug said as the mist rolled back towards the ocean revealing them surrounded on three sides by far more thugs than they thought Gatō had.

"Don't take unnecessary risks. Fall back to the bridge as we fight." Kakashi lowered his voice so only the ninja of their group could hear. "We can escape into the water from the bridge."

They fought the thugs as they retreated to the bridge, killing dozens as they went. When they reached the mist covered bridge the thugs started slowing down then withdrew completely, blocking both ends of the bridge.

"Anyone else feel like this is a trap?" Sasuke asked.

The mist disappeared completely revealing all six ships that had attacked the village, as well as the three that had attacked Menma and Haku, lined up to fire on the bridge. The largest and finest ship was within speaking range of the bridge. On the bow of the ship was a ninja with a slashed Mist headband acting as a belt. He had on a rather large and stupid looking hat with a feather in it. His foot rested against a large spear gun, anchored to the ship.

"Good guess, little ninja," the man said, looking over the group. "You know, when Gatō asked me to lead his navy it sounded too good to be true. _Then _he told me one of the men I would have the pleasure of killing."

The man turned his gaze on Zabuza. "I almost didn't believe him, but here you are. Finally, after all these years, I'll have my revenge on the Demon of the Mist."

"Who the hell are you?" Zabuza asked, clearly confused.

"You don't know me. You _should _remember my older brother, however, seeing as how you killed him along with everyone else at the academy!" The man roared. "His name was-"

"I don't give a shit what his name was. They were all worthless bastards." Zabuza sneered at him. "I bet he was one of the ones that pissed himself and blubbered at my feet like an infant, though."

With his face contorting in rage the Mist ninja kicked the harpoon gun turning it to face Zabuza. He then quickly stomped on the firing mechanism and sent a harpoon flying at him.

Zabuza couldn't jump aside in time. His injuries from when Gatō had tried to ambush him and Haku in his hideout combined with those he had received in the village were too much. Time seemed to slow around him as he watched the harpoon sail closer and closer. '_So this is how I die, huh? At least I took a bunch with me.'_

When he heard the sound of the projectile hitting flesh he was confused. There was no additional pain. His eyes focused in front of him as the chain attached to the harpoon was reeled back in, tearing it out of the boy standing there.

"Am I... a useful tool, Zabuza-sama?"

"You were always useful, Haku. You didn't have to do this."

"I wanted to. Even if it wasn't my duty, I still would have saved you."

Zabuza let out a hollow laugh. "Stupid boy, all you did was delay my death a few moments."

Haku looked to the left and right ends of the bridge, filled with thugs. He then turned around to face the warships on the ocean. "I see... allow me... to clear you a path."

The boy staggered towards the end of the bridge leaving behind bloody footprints. The Mist ninja watched him curiously, with a wound like that there would be no saving him.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Zabuza asked.

The boy finished staggering to the side of the bridge and seemed to wave a hand. The ocean and the ships in front of him gained a small layer of ice, freezing them in place. The men standing aboard the flagship with the harpoon gun were close enough to be frozen to the deck of the ship.

Haku turned his face back and smiled. "Kinjutsu," he whispered. The team on the bridge heard him.

Haku turned back to the frozen ships and raised both hands above his head. A ball of blueish-white energy started to gather above his hands. There were no hand signs, no words, just raw manipulation. As the orb charged above his head they could see his hands wrinkling and his hair turning grey. It was as if he were pouring his life, his very soul, into the attack. When it looked like he was on the verge of death he pulled his arms down and back before thrusting them forward.

The bridge and his team were safe. The same could not be said for the ships and men in front of him. Freezing cold winds whipped past the bridge causing a mournful howl. Ice manipulation of the purest form flowed from of his outstretched hands flash freezing everything and everyone caught in it. Layer after layer of ice formed creating gigantic waves of ice. After several seconds of this Haku was left propping himself on his knees and panting. He raised a single hand and snapped. Everything shattered like glass. The men. The wood from the ships. The iron from the cannons. The ocean itself. His task done, he flopped backwards on to the ground.

The thugs stared in shock. Sure they were hot shit when they were bullying villagers that wouldn't defend themselves, but against ninja? That _boy_ had just destroyed nine ships and how many hundreds of men _with a single attack?_ Those on the Wave side broke and scattered with many rethinking their employment.

* * *

Menma walked over to Haku and stared down at his prone form. He was still alive, but it wouldn't last much longer.

"Why would you go so far for someone who thinks of you as a tool?"

The aged and wrinkled boy look up at him and gave him a bloody smile. "It's simple. He's my precious person."

Menma turned out towards the frozen sea and frowned. He wasn't new to the concept of precious people. He had two in the past, but they had both died.

"I would dirty my hands for him, I would die for him," Haku said. "I... would stain my soul for him."

"Is that why?" Menma whispered. "I wasn't willing to give enough to save them?"

When he heard no answer he turned around. Haku had died with a smile on his face.

* * *

_(In a Hidden Location)_

Two men were in a darkened room facing each other. One was cloaked and kneeling in front of the other.

"So, you finally found him, fighting a war in Wave? How unusual." The cloaked individual's only response was a nod. "Surviving a war deserves a reward, don't you think? I think I'll even deliver his gift myself."

The cloaked man nodded again and hurried out of the room leaving the other alone.

"We'll meet soon, Sasuke-kun. Kukuku."

* * *

**End Chapter 8**

**A/N:**

Yeah, Haku totally used Diamond Dust. He's cool, even if he _is_ a trap, so I felt he deserved a special exit.

Wave reaches a climax next chapter. Then it's on to the Sand-Sound Invasion.


	10. Waves of Blood 6

**Eldeweiss:** I'm glad you found it so emotional. I was worried I wouldn't be able to properly convey Haku's death. I'm finding writing somewhat difficult, but fun.

**serialkeller:** Yeah it does, but depending on how well this story does I may write up other stories I had ideas for. Haku will play a major role in one of them if I do. Too many authors write dozens of stories all with the same pairing. It's annoying.

* * *

**Chapter 9**

_(Wave Bridge)_

Zabuza had picked up Haku's body and began carrying it back to Wave. He paused just after passing Kakashi and spoke without turning around. "Whatever else happens, Gatō's head is mine."

The team, excluding Menma, watched him go before turning their attention to the village. It was a mess. Many buildings were collapsed and destroyed, while others were on fire. The surrounding forest was just catching fire as well.

"Come on, let's put those fires out," Kakashi said quietly. Most of the team followed after him, leaving Menma and Sakura.

Menma stared at the spot Haku had been lying, lost in thought. "Menma?" Sakura's voiced was laced with worry. He turned to stare out silently at the results of Haku's attack.

After nearly an entire minute of staring he nodded as though he came to an understanding. He turned around with a determined look on his face. "Let's go, we need to help with those fires."

Sakura cast a quick glance at the ocean, remembering Haku's last words, before chasing after him and the rest of their team.

'_Could I make the same sacrifice?'_

* * *

The villagers had returned shortly after the team had reached the village and begun putting out the fires. Everyone that could fight was armed and ready. That attack had been the last straw. It was time to deal with Gatō once and for all.

In the first couple of days after the attack the genin learned that Tenzō had the legendary Mokuton bloodline. He had used his abilities to help reconstruct the village. They had wanted to question him about it, but like everything else that wasn't immediately important to the mission, it got pushed to the back of their minds.

They spent a week training the villagers in proper battle tactics and formations. They still needed a lot of work, but they would be facing undisciplined thugs, so even the smallest advantage would help.

Zabuza returned at the end of the first week. He didn't speak anymore, but it didn't stop him from spending the next week training the villagers how to properly wield their weapons. He may have tried to convince people in the past that Haku was just a tool, but everyone could see it was otherwise. It was like the man was already dead and simply waiting for his own death to come so that he could see him again.

* * *

_(Wave Shore)_

Two weeks had passed since the ambush that had claimed Haku's life. It was the middle of the night and in the morning they were going to start planning how to attack Gatō's castle.

Menma was standing on the beach that was the furthest possible point from both Wave Village and Gatō's castle.

"If I don't want them wasting more time building catapults and a long drawn out siege, this is it." He looked down at his right forearm. In the light of the nearly full moon his new summoning tattoo could be seen. He had just finished the seals. Starting just below his wrist on his hand and snaking up his right forearm was a tribal looking nine-tailed fox.

"Moment of truth. God I hope he was kidding about the blowing us up part." Menma bit his left thumb and swiped it across the tattoo. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu." He concentrated on releasing only the smallest amount of power. With a burst of power the great Kyūbi no Yōko appeared in all his glory. Almost.

"**I'm... free?"**

Menma held up his forearm to show the beast his tattoo. "I finished it. I can now officially summon you from the seal."

"**Why am I so weak? Give me the rest of my power!"**

"Sorry, _Ichibi noYōko_, but this was just a test run to make sure I didn't blow us up. I'll let you out to cause chaos soon," Menma replied with a grin.

"**You had better, runt," **the beast glared at him.

"Yeah yeah." Menma released the summon and the Kyūbi vanished back into the seal. Menma staggered around a moment before hurrying back to the village. Hopefully with this the attack would go smoother.

* * *

_(Wave Village)_

Team 7, Zabuza, Tazuna, and several other key villagers, were in a new building built by Tenzō planning the assault on Gatō's castle.

"It'll take us some time to build catapults to take down those walls," said one of the villagers attending the meeting. "To build enough and get them in place I'd say... a week, maybe two."

"Actually," Menma said as he stepped forward from a shaded corner he had been standing in, "those walls won't be a problem. We won't need catapults, let me deal with them."

"Even the strongest ninja in the world couldn't tear those walls down without siege equipment," sneered one of the villagers.

"As much faith as I have in you, Menma," Kakashi added, "you don't have the power to tear them down yourself."

"Both true statements." Menma said, holding up his bandaged right arm. He pulled the wraps off revealing his summoning tattoo. "But I never said _I _would be the one doing it."

Kakashi's eye widened. "Then last night... you actually managed it? You can summon Kyūbi?"

"The monster that almost destroyed Konoha?" Another random villager asked. "Why not just let him destroy the castle and Gatō then?"

"Because Gatō is neither mine nor the Kyūbi's to kill," Menma said, glancing at Zabuza.

"So?" The villager persisted. "Then just have it destroy certain things."

Menma frowned. "The Kyūbi is like a hurricane, or a tsunami, a force of nature. I can turn him towards a direction and unleash him and he'll cause mass destruction, not surgical strikes. I can summon him to take out the walls, but then I'll have to dismiss him so he doesn't take out anything else." Zabuza gave him a nod of appreciation, which he returned.

Kakashi nodded and turned to Tazuna. "Get everyone ready. Gatō dies tonight."

* * *

_(Forest outside Gatō's Castle)_

The combined force of villagers and ninja stood at the edge of the forest looking at the large castle in the distance. In front of them, lit by the full moon, was a large open plain. Like the previous base Gatō had cut down the trees around it creating a clearing that denied enemies cover.

"Well, let's see this monster of yours," sneered the same villager from the meeting. Menma ignored him and turned his head to look at Kakashi. Kakashi simply nodded and Menma stepped forward into the plain.

He calmly pulled the wrap off his arm. The villagers tensed.

He bit his thumb and smeared blood on the seal. The thugs on the walls turned and looked out into the night.

He slowly went through the hand seals. The thugs started pointing and shouting.

He slammed his hand on the ground with a whisper of "Kuchiyose no Jutsu.". The thugs raised the alarm in the castle.

With a roar Kyūbi appeared, however he was restricted to three tails. Thugs flooded on to the castle walls.

"You want to have some fun, right?" Menma asked the beast. "See that wall with all those insects on it? Do me a favor and destroy it all." With a maniacal grin the Kyūbi charged the castle and began destroying the walls.

The villagers sent up a roar and chased after the beast.

"When I dismiss the Kyūbi it'll leave me temporarily weakened," Menma informed them.

"Then you'll stay here with Sakura and Sasuke. Once you've recovered, join the attack," Kakashi commanded. With that, the three elder ninja rushed to join.

* * *

_(Plains outside Gatō's Castle.)_

Kyūbi made short work of the walls and thugs so it was only minutes later that Menma dismissed him and collapsed to his knees to catch his breath. "Ugh, I need to train so I can control his power better."

"Oh? And what power might that be?" A sinister voice came from behind them. Sasuke and Sakura spun around, instantly on guard. Menma simply looked over his shoulder, too exhausted to do anything more.

A pale man with straight long black hair rose from the ground before them. His amber eyes had slit pupils and purple markings surrounding them.

"Who are you? One of Gatō's lackeys?" Sasuke asked warily.

"Why, I'm just a concerned citizen trying to find out what all this fuss is about," the man replied with a grin.

"Except that all the 'concerned citizens' are back there trying to kill a tyrant," Sakura snapped.

"Kukuku. It seems I've been caught," the man said, his smile growing wider.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan. "Then we'll deal with you before Gatō."

The man jumped backwards towards the forest, summoning a giant snake as he did so.

"You two deal with him. I'll take care of the snake," Menma said as he struggled to stand.

The man let out another creepy laugh and disappeared into the forest. His summon snake, diving towards the group. Sasuke and Sakura nodded and jumped past the snake to chase the man down.

Menma looked passively at the snake bearing down on him and readied himself.

* * *

_(Gatō's Castle)_

Zabuza should have been dead several times over. His original wounds from Gatō's betrayal joined with those he had suffered in the ambush at the village combined the new injuries he suffered as he forced his way through the castle had left him a mess. But he couldn't die. Not yet. Not while that _worm_ still lived.

He reached a large set of double doors and kicked them open. Inside he found a hallway. It was ornately decorated with tapestries hanging from the walls. They all bore the same icon on them that vaguely resembled the international symbol for currency, Gatō's personal crest. At the far end of the hall was a large throne upon which sat Gatō. Between the throne and the doorway stood a dozen ninja all wearing forehead protectors with that same stupid crest.

"Whoever brings me his head gets double, no triple pay!" The midget cried. The pseudo-ninja all jumped at Zabuza.

Zabuza charged, his eyes never leaving Gatō. The enemies were all throwing themselves at him so all he had to do was swing his sword. He took more and more wounds as he cut his way through the ninja, his clothes were tattered and his facial wrappings fell away. With a final swing a head rolled across the floor. Gatō was dead.

Zabuza fell backwards to the floor with a growing puddle beneath him. His eyes were losing focus but moved as though he could see something else in the room.

"Didn't even leave my side in death, huh? You're too soft, Haku."

"_Of course. I had to wait to welcome you home, after all."_

"Home?" He let out a wet laugh. "I doubt I'll be going to the same place as you."

"_My place is by your side, wherever that may be. Besides, home is where the people you care about are."_

Zabuza grunted as his eyes drooped. "In that case... I'm home... son."

"_Welcome home."_

There, in that room filled with blood and death, the Demon of the Mist died, with a happy smile on his face.

* * *

_(Plains outside Gatō's Castle)_

Menma had struggled at first. How does one fight a snake the size of a building? The damn thing had eaten more mud clones than he cared to count. Stabbing it seemed like a good idea. But where? The scales were a natural armor.

The two faced off briefly. The snake had slowed down after how much mud it had consumed. It's tongue flicked lazily out of its mouth.

Menma activated his Sharingan hoping it would give him some insight into the creature. Then it struck him '_The eyes!'. _He quickly created two mud clones and sent them to wait near the treeline. As the snake dove at him to eat him he used the same trick he had been since the fight started. He used Kawarimi on a clone. The difference this time, was that he immediately followed it by using henge to transform into a shuriken for the second clone to throw at the snake. The clone missed, but it was close enough for him to unhenge and stab the snake in the eye with a kunai.

The snake hissed and flailed around. He tried to stick to it with chakra but the scales were too slick. He slipped off the far side of the snake and slashed it's remaining eye as he fell. He dodged the writhing animal and jumped away so he wouldn't be crushed.

With the snake distracted he shed his coat and used Kawarimi on the second clone. As he dashed off into the trees after his teammates the remaining clone picked up his coat and put it on. The snake's tongue flicked out again, and it focused on the clone.

* * *

_(Forest outside Gatō's Castle)_

Sasuke and Sakura were having a tough time with their opponent. He would dodge nearly everything they threw at him and the few times they _did_ get a good hit on him, it turned out to be a mud clone. They were starting to get angry. It was bad enough when they sparred with Menma they didn't need an enemy trying to kill them using the same tactics.

The man appeared behind them again, snakes shot from his arm and struck Sakura before whipping her into a tree, dazing her.

"I'm disappointed. You'll never defeat Itachi when you're so weak," the man said.

"You know where Itachi is? Tell me!" Sasuke demanded.

"You'll have to defeat me if you want to find out."

Sasuke rushed at him only to get viciously kicked back. He then pulled out a dozen shuriken and threw them at the man. The man, seeing the ninja wire attached to them prepared to jump out of the way and nearly tripped when he tried. He looked down to see Sakura had recovered enough to latch on to his feet to keep him from moving. He sneered and raised his hand to smack her across the face but got wrapped in the wire. Sakura let go and with a jerk, he found himself flying through the air and into another tree.

"Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!" Fire streamed down the wires and slammed into him as he tried to wriggle free of the tree and wires. After ten seconds of holding it, he let it go and the flames died down.

The figured struggled up to its feet. His skin was blackened and charred with portions dripping like wax. Two hands shot out of his mouth and forced it open. It opened wide before being pulled down revealing the man without injures and covered in goo.

"You did better than I expected." The man made a hand sign and his head shot forward, biting Sasuke on the neck. After leaving a mark his head pulled back. "So I'll give you that gift. We'll meet again, Sasuke-kun."

He sank into the ground and vanished.

* * *

Menma had trouble finding his teammates. He guessed that the man was leading them away from him and the snake to prevent him from helping them. Since he couldn't find them he decided to cut the man off at the bridge. A stranger that wasn't working for Gatō wouldn't travel all the way out to Wave just to kill some genin. His bet was on a ninja from a rival village. Someone trying to steal the Sharingan, no doubt. He just hoped the man arrived by land and not by sea. If he had a ship he would never find them.

He didn't wait more than ten minutes before the man showed up. Alone.

"Where are they? What did you do to them?!" He demanded, Sharingan blazing.

"Sharingan? So he wasn't lying, you really do have one. Kukuku."

"He? He who?" Menma growled.

"What was his name again? Ah, yes, Eiichi. He said he almost killed you when you were younger, right after he killed his wife."

Rage filled Menma's mind when he heard that name and he threw himself at the man, Kyūbi's chakra bubbling out of him and forming three tails.

The man grabbed Menma's outstretched arms and flipped him back over his head using his own momentum to send him flying.

"Now, now, it isn't polite to interrupt someone when they're talk-"

Menma flew at him again. When the man went to repeat the throw Menma latched on to one of the arms and reversed it on him, using his moment to throw the man in turn. He didn't let go of the arm however, and it tore off as the man flew away.

Seeing the man lie on the ground with an arm missing cooled his rage and the cloak dissipated.

"Now, tell me where he is," he demanded.

The man's head seemed to bulge and another version of the man without a missing arm slithered its way out of the mouth of the one lying on the bridge.

"Forcing me to use it twice in one evening," the man said while standing. "Konoha ninja are talented. You've earned my interest. I think I'll leave you with a parting gift as well." He formed the same hand sign and his head shot out. Menma, caught off-guard, barely managed to bring his arm up in time to block him. The man's teeth sank into his left forearm and left a mark.

Menma grit his teeth in pain. "Damn you, monster. Where is he?!"

"Well now, that was rude, I have a name you know. My name is Orochimaru, and if you want to find that man, you will come with me."

"The only reason I would follow you is to kill you," Menma spat out.

"Kukuku. One of you _will_ join me. If you will not, then Sasuke-kun will," the man said, sinking into the ground. "After all, we both know how far he'll go to get revenge."

Menma sagged to the ground, the exhaustion from the Kyūbi's chakra and the pain from the bite overcoming him.

'_Sasuke wouldn't go that far for revenge, not anymore... right?'_

* * *

_(Konoha)_

By the time Menma had returned to consciousness the battle was over and the villagers were celebrating. Wave was free.

After taking a beating at the joined forces of ninja and villagers, and finding out that Zabuza had snuck past everyone and assassinated Gatō, the majority of the remaining thugs fled or surrendered.

Kakashi had apparently already buried Zabuza next to Haku, leaving the sword as a tombstone.

The bridge had been named. Originally, Inari had suggested they name it after Menma. He had shot that idea down quickly. "Who the hell names a bridge after ramen toppings?" He had asked. Eventually they had settled for The Bridge of Heroes in honor of all those that died in the fighting and to remind them that heroes really do exist.

Team 7 had been forced to stay for two days after the battle as the village celebrated. They had finally managed to convince them that they needed to return home and had set out earlier that day.

They had left the gates an hour ago with Kakashi dismissing them and telling them to get some rest. No doubt they would be meeting the Hokage the next day for debriefing.

Menma stood in his apartment bathroom looking at himself in the mirror after a shower. Somehow over the course of the mission to Wave his hair had grown out to shoulder length. With how busy they had constantly seemed he hadn't bothered to check his appearance, much less worry about hair cuts.

'_We were only gone two... three months? How long _was _it?' _He looked over at his untouched calendar as if it would have magically kept track of the days without him there to take care of it.

He decided he simply didn't care enough to bother with it. Shoulder length it will stay. He finished drying it before collapsing into his bed. '_Let the nightmares come. I need sleep after Wave.'_

* * *

His nightmares weren't the usual fare this time. He dreamt of another life.

He dreamt he was a blonde-haired, loud-mouthed idiot screaming about being Hokage.

He dreamt he had a massive crush on Sakura, despite her abusive behaviour.

He dreamt of Sasuke, throwing away everything for the sake of revenge. His friends, his village, his future, all of it was discarded like so much trash.

He dreamt of Haku pouring his life into an attack to protect the person he cared about more than anything else in the world.

A sudden pounding on the door woke him up. The sunlight blinded him as he jerked awake.

* * *

_(Hokage's Office)_

Their debriefing had just finished.

"Now, before you leave, we have something else to discuss," Hiruzen said, lighting his pipe. "I have bad news and I have good news. Which would you like first?"

"The bad news," Sakura blurted out before anyone else could respond.

"The bad news is that the chūnin exams started a week ago. The rest of your classmates have entered. You, however, have missed your chance at entering them. The finals take place in a month."

Team 7 seemed crushed at this. Their friends were going to surpass them.

"After careful consideration, reviewing the results of your mission in Wave, and on the recommendation of both Kakashi and Tenzō..." He paused and pulled out three vests, placing them on the desk in front of him. "You have all been promoted to chūnin due to your efforts on the field of battle. Congratulations."

Team 7 stood in shock.

Hiruzen leaned forward and propped his hand up beside his mouth like he was telling them a secret. "That was the good news," he stage-whispered.

The three of them stepped forward and took their vests. Sasuke had a cocky grin on his face as he held his. Sakura was trying very hard not to squeal as she put hers on. Menma grinned and sealed it away in a scroll.

"Team 7 will have time off while the exams are going on. Make sure you support your peers in the finals. You are dismissed."

* * *

**End Chapter 9**

**A/N:**

Wave is officially over.

There will probably be a bit of filler in the month-long break for the exams. I keep forgetting to add things in chapters that are possibly important. Maybe. I'll have to check.

I apologize for any joined words, bad grammar, and typos. I'm feeling particularly lazy today.


	11. The Calm Before the Storm

**Wow, Wave went far better than I had hoped. Now I've got expectations to live up to.**

**Review responses after the chapter this time because of potential spoilers.**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

_(Konoha)_

Team 7 was walking down the street. Sasuke and Sakura had finally decided on a place to eat in celebration, and to Menma's displeasure, they had chosen a ramen stand.

As they approached a little stand by the name of Ichiraku's they could hear two familiar voices coming from inside.

"I'm telling you, they're not coming!" No doubt about it, that was Kiba's voice. The other one they had heard before they got close enough to understand was feminine.

'_Please be Hinata. Please be Hinata. Please be-'_

"This is the only place we haven't checked! I'm telling you, they're probably avoiding us since their sensei didn't enter them in the chūnin exams!" That voice was definitely Ino.

'_DAMN IT. Of all the people we had to run in to... why are those two even together?!' _Menma glanced over at his teammates to see Sakura grinning and adjusting her vest. Sasuke had suddenly decided to wear his as well.

The two turned as Team 7 brushed past the curtain.

"Hey look, it's the losers!" Kiba looked at them with a smug grin. Ino, however, stared at Sakura with her mouth hanging open.

"Forehead! What the hell?!" She jabbed her finger at Sakura's vest. "Is that what I think it is?"

"Yep! We were promoted to chūnin." She straightened her jacket again and stood a little straighter.

"How?! You guys aren't even in the exams!" Kiba shouted before a bark caused him to look towards Menma. His smug look returned. "Well, it looks like _someone_ didn't make the cut. How's it feel to be the only loser on the team, _second best?_"

Menma calmly walked over to Kiba, pulled out a scroll and unsealed his vest. He carefully held it up for Kiba to see before smacking him upside the head with it and sealing it away once again. "I don't wear it because I think it would look stupid. I was promoted too."

Team 7 joined them at the counter and ordered their food.

"So, how did you guys get promoted?" Ino asked.

"Our last mission was crazy. The client only paid for a C-rank but it was much harder," Sakura replied. "What else did we miss besides the chūnin exams? We've been gone for awhile."

"Ooooh, that means you guys haven't heard about Wave!" Ino squealed.

Team 7 blinked in unison.

"What about Wave?" Sasuke asked.

"Rumor has it there's a huge war going on out there," Ino said. "They say there's a single team of elites out there fighting the war by themselves! They're going to be made into national heroes! They might even become known across the entire Elemental Countries."

"Elites? National heroes?" Sasuke grinned. "Well, I guess it's true."

"Well, they _did_try to name the bridge after Menma," Sakura said.

"Ugh." Menma palmed his face. "Don't remind me. It's like some cosmic joke that everything important in my life be tied to ramen somehow."

Ino and Kiba stared at them, mouths hanging open. "Wait... you mean... you guys were the Wave team?" Kiba asked.

"How the hell do you guys even know about Wave? We got back _last night_," Menma asked.

"We've known about it for ages! The village found out when they requested back up." Ino shouted. "Er... when you guys requested back up, I guess. Everyone was wondering who was going to be sent."

"An ANBU," Sasuke replied. "He had the Mokuton bloodline."

The two genin could only stare. Team 7 had fought a war, worked along with an ANBU that had Mokuton, and been promoted after only a couple of months as active ninja without going through the exams. They were living every young ninja's dream! While they were out there being heroes the rest of their classmates were walking dogs and weeding flower beds!

"Argh! Damn it! I'm not going to be left behind!" Kiba shouted and jumped to his feet. "Let's go train, Akamaru!" He threw some money on the counter and took off.

"So... were you two..." Sakura asked.

"Hmm? Ugh! No!" Ino waved her hands in denial. "It's just... Shika and Chōji are lazy and only care about food, Shino made it to the finals so he's busy training, and Hinata... is in the hospital. No one could find you guys so Kiba was the only choice. Plus he's good at tracking so I was hoping he could help me find you."

"Hinata is in the hospital?" Sakura sounded concerned. "What happened?"

"She got matched up against her cousin, Neji, in the preliminaries." She frowned. "He started out trying to tear her down and getting her to quit, but she just shrugged it off. They were pretty evenly matched until he got a lucky hit in. He tried to kill her."

"Sounds like your typical Hyūga asshole," Menma said. His left forearm suddenly flared in pain. He looked over at Sasuke to see him gripping his neck. He dropped some money on the counter for his food and stood while locking eyes with Sasuke. "Come on, we need to speak to Kakashi."

The two left the girls behind to continue their gossiping.

* * *

_(Kakashi's Apartment)_

"What are you two doing here?" Kakashi asked as he stood in his doorway.

"Curse marks," Menma replied.

"Ah, right. I guess I can take care of Sasuke's now. Come in."

The two boys entered and closed the door behind them and stood stunned.

The walls were covered in posters of girls in different 'cute' poses. Numerous bookshelves were scattered around the room packed with books. In several glass cases there were figurines also in various 'cute' and 'battle' poses. Off in the corner they could see a bed with girls on the sheets and a large pillow with a girl on it.

As they looked around the room they started to notice something, flat-chested pink-haired girls seemed to be a common theme.

"Do you think we should warn Sakura?" Sasuke whispered. "These all kind of look like her."

"Uh... probably... I mean - wait a second." Menma looked closer at the pillow in the bed. It was a large body pillow with a girl printed on it. The girl was asleep and wrapped around a blanket that barely covered her at all. She was wearing nothing but a pair of pink panties while the blanket barely covered her bare chest. He pointed at the pillow. "That _is _Sakura. Is that Tazuna's house? How the hell did he already get something like that made?!"

"Well at least we know why he wanted to share a room with her now..." Sasuke muttered.

The followed Kakashi through the apartment. As they walked through the place more and more of the posters and figurines were in increasing states of undress.

"Yeah... we definitely need to warn Sakura," Menma said.

"Is that a SHRINE?!" Sasuke blurted out staring into a room in horror. There in the room they were passing was a shrine apparently dedicated to flat-chested pink-haired girls.

"I thought he was just lazy..." The boys looked at each other. "He's crazy."

"Do we really want someone like this placing seals on us?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi's head popped out of the room ahead of them. "Come on, now. It won't take long."

They followed him into the room. It was dimly lit and they had trouble seeing at first. Kakashi closed the door behind them and flicked on a light. The room was filled with more posters and figurines, however these were suspiciously androgynous and seemed to sport black hair.

"Alright, sit in the center there and take your clothes off," he said to Sasuke.

"What?!"

"Well, I guess just the shirt is fine. Go on, sit in the center of the rings." Kakashi waved him towards it while preparing.

Sasuke turned a desperate look to Menma. "You first."

"Ah, I won't be placing any seals on Menma. We wouldn't want to unleash Kyūbi or anything," Kakashi said with his back to the boys.

Menma smirked evilly at Sasuke. "You heard him, it's all you."

Sasuke nervously shed his shirt and sat in the spot he was told too. Moments later there was the sound of a camera taking pictures. Sasuke jerked around to see Kakashi holding a camera. "What are you doing?!"

"Taking pictures," he replied like it was the most normal thing in the world. "Just in case someone else gets one in the future, of course."

"Well cut it out and seal this mark already!"

Kakashi sighed and put the camera away. He then cut his hand and began writing symbols in blood around Sasuke and along his body around the seal. He flashed through a long sequence of hand signs before placing his hand over the seal and muttering something.

Sasuke writhed around and groaned in pain for a bit. "All done!" Kakashi chirped before his voice turned flat. "Now get out, you're interrupting my private time."

Menma dragged Sasuke to his feet and quickly staggered out the door supporting him. As soon as the two had left his apartment Kakashi locked the door and returned to the room they were in. He dispelled a genjutsu and the images all reverted to the same theme as the rest of his apartment.

"As if they would be glorious enough to grace my walls," Kakashi snorted. He walked to his shrine and collapsed into a bow in front of it. "Forgive me! I was only playing a trick on them! I would never be unfaithful! I just couldn't let them inform the Holy One about my Paradise!"

* * *

_(Menma's Apartment)_

Menma had spent much of the rest of the day going through his various books on seals. He wasn't making much progress however and had passed out at his desk.

_Drip. Drip._

"Ah, well, I might as well see what he thinks about the seal." Menma wandered through the tunnels until he reached the seal.

"**It's about time you show up. Do you have any idea what's happening in here?"**

"Nope! But I imagine you're going to tell me. With lots of anger and name-calling."

"**If I had time to relax. You need to decide what you're going to do about that seal that man gave you."**

"Decide what?"

"**That seal contains a portion of his soul. It's only thanks to my interference that you haven't already absorbed it like you did the other guy."**

"Other guy? What other guy?"

"**The Uchiha that was controlling me and sealed in here with me." **The Kyūbi looked down at him with a grin. "**You didn't think that eye was yours, did you?"**

Menma blinked and frowned. "I'm... not a part of the Uchiha?"

"**Nope. You were that blonde-haired bastard's kid."**

"You knew my father?"

"**No, I did not. I did have the pleasure of meeting him when he sealed me into you, however," **the beast sneered.

Menma looked up at him. "Can you tell me about him?"

"**Later. You still need to know about that other seal. As I said already, the only reason you haven't absorbed it already is because I've been dumping chakra into your system." **He paused for a moment before grinning again. "**There will be... consequences, if I keep it up much longer."**

"So? Let it get absorbed. I absorbed some other guy and I was fine, right?"

"**True, you became the dominant personality. You had an advantage because it's your body, plus I blocked his memories."**

"Why would you block his memories?" Menma asked with a frown.

"**Because I didn't want my container turning into some arrogant Uchiha and treating me like a pet," **he snarled. "**You pathetic monkeys are all defined by your memories and lives. You might not be the Uchiha, but if you had absorbed all his memories as a child you could have very well become some sort of reincarnation of him."**

Menma frowned and paced in front of the cage in thought. "What's stopping you from doing it again?"

"**You absorbed some of the Uchiha's abilities. Your infernal eye is his, as is your hair color. Do you remember what that man did on the bridge? Do you really want to vomit up new bodies when you get injured?"**

"Ah, yeah, that was pretty nasty," he said with a frown.

"**And that was the only thing you saw. Who knows what other abilities he has. What else would you absorb? Maybe he was hiding something worse, like... two sets of genitalia or his body was made out of maggots or something."**

"Alright, alright, I get it. What can we do then? You said you were keeping it in check and that something would happen if you kept at it."

"**Who knows. Your body might disintegrate and become something purely made of chakra like myself," **the beast shrugged. "**You might even sprout fur and grow a tail. Either way, that would be the result of leaving things as they are. I could send a concentrated blast of power into the seal. The best possible outcome to that... my power would burn out his soul shard."**

"What's the catch?" Menma asked.

"**That seal... the reason he leaves a piece of himself is to influence the mind of whoever receives it. Burning him out would leave a piece of me in there. You've already got a seal on you to keep me from influencing you directly, so it would leave the seal intact to function normally. Using it would grant you power."**

Menma glared at him. "You still haven't told me the catch."

"**You wouldn't have direct access to my power any longer. You would still be able to summon me and control how much power I receive, however."**

"What about the power from the seal? How strong is it?"

"**As I said, burning him out would leave a piece of me behind. It would be my power," **he looked down at him. "**Obviously it would be strong."**

"You just said I wouldn't have direct access to your power anymore," he frowned.

"**I don't have access to that seal. Anything I put in there is lost to me. It would become **_**your**_ **power."**

"So I gain an alternate source of power but lose yours." Menma returned to his pacing. "Would I be able to do the same for someone else?"

The Kyūbi grinned maliciously. "**Yes, you would."**

Menma frowned. He could see that he was planning something. "I need to think on this. I'll let you know what I want to do later." As he began to fade away the Kyūbi spoke one last time.

"**Time is running short, monkey. Decide quickly."**

* * *

**End Chapter 10**

**A/N:**

Few things. First off, no, there is no Naruto(Menma)/Hinata pairing. He was hoping it was her because she's relatively quiet whereas Ino is the gossip queen.

Yes, I made Kakashi a hardcore creeper otaku. Why? Because I can and it amuses me. No, there will be no Kakashi/Sakura pairing either.

I can't really think of anything else right now so we'll go into the review responses.

**A warning - some things will be explained and there may be potential spoilers. If you don't want to ruin any surprises, skip 'em.**

* * *

**Tomaxor:**Thanks for the review. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.

**gardien1204:**Glad you like it. I update pretty much daily, so yeah.

**serialkeller: **As you can see at the end, the potential to use the curse seals is there. I don't want him or Sasuke getting too strong too early though, so there are drawbacks to it. I'm curious to know how many people will figure out what Kurama was thinking.

**tierce japhrimel: **I kind of skipped over the curse seals last chapter, didn't I? Kakashi did know about them, though. If you'll recall in canon Sasuke's life was threatened twice shortly after he received the seal. In the Forest of Death by the Sound team and in the preliminaries by what's-his-ass sucking his chakra. In this story they were at the tail end of the war. The fight was all but over so they were just resting in Tazuna's house. This meant the curse seal, while it did finish and activate, never got the chance to take over. Kakashi was more worried about Sakura's snake bites (who knows how many of them were poisonous) and the fact that he didn't have the proper supplies to deal with them at the time. Plus as you read above, he didn't want to mess up Kurama's seal.

**Felicity Dream: **Where to begin? We'll start with Orochimaru. From my understanding of canon, Wave lasted one week. After which Team 7 spent a couple of months doing D-ranks again before the exams. The Forest of Death lasted 5 days. My Wave took several months, so that jumps them ahead in the timeline through the D-ranks. That puts the end of the war roughly around the time the exams start. Orochimaru showed up on what, their second day in the FoD? In my story they missed the exam by a week. To clarify, I mean the exams started a week before they returned. So by the time they return the second portion had basically just ended. Orochimaru met them 2 days prior to their return. So, all in all, he shows up at about the same time, maybe even a day or two later, just in a different place.

As for joining Orochimaru, you're right, at least for canon reasons. Sasuke is leaning away from revenge, yes. Menma is also influenced by Haku, like you said, but with a twist. Will either of them actually join him? We'll see. I had originally planned for Wave to be basically canon with only minor changes and you can see how that turned out.

And finally, Menma's appearance. I thought people weren't going to notice that until some time later. Good job picking up on it so early.


	12. The Calm Before the Storm 2

**Oplindenfep:** I answered this back in the chapter 8 or 9 responses, but it's symbolic. Plus, I'm in a rebellious phase. Yaaay Menma, booo Naruto.

**serialkeller: **His response to his father comes in this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_(Konoha)_

Menma jerked awake to the sound of someone pounding on his door. He rolled out of bed before staggering over to the door and throwing it open. He caught a brief flash of black before the sunlight blinded him.

'_That's twice now I've slept the whole night since coming back from Wave...'_

"Let's go make you an Uchiha," the person said.

"Do you have any idea how that sounds?" Menma closed the door behind him, squinting as his eyes started to adjust to the light. "It sounds like some kind of lame proposal."

"You know what I meant," Sasuke growled.

"Before we go I should probably tell you I learned some things last night. I'm not an Uchiha after all. I just... merged with one, so I got his eye."

"So what? You've got the Sharingan, that's good enough for me," he said before jumping away towards the Hokage's Tower.

Menma leapt after him. "What about Kakashi-sensei? He has one. Does that make him an Uchiha?"

"He already has a family," Sasuke said, leaping from building to building. "Besides, his is artificial, he can't pass it on."

"We don't know if mine will be passed on," Menma pointed out.

Sasuke shrugged. "It doesn't really matter, but we can have them test that later. You're not getting out of this."

"Alright, just thought you'd want to know I'm not really an Uchiha," Menma said with a sigh.

"Then what are you?"

"I don't know. The Kyūbi told me my father was a 'blonde-haired bastard' that he met-" Menma's eyes widened before flicking over to the Hokage monument. '_That he met the night he sealed him in to me.'_

His distraction caused him to miss his next foothold and sent him flying towards the ground face first. He managed to catch his hand on something as he fell giving him enough momentum to make it across to the building across the street and stick to it's side. Sasuke stood at the top looking down at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Ah... if the Kyūbi wasn't lying I might have just figured out who my father was," Menma told him with an embarrassed grin. "I'll get a paternity test done too, I think."

Half an hour later they had just finished the paperwork and were standing in front of the Hokage.

The old man frowned as he went over the pages. "There... may be complications with it, but I can start the process."

"What complications?" Sasuke asked.

"Uchiha clan complications. Menma's status complications. Villager complications. It will be difficult to get this approved, but I will see what I can do," Hiruzen told them, stacking the papers neatly.

"Would it help if we found out if I could pass on my Sharingan or not?" Menma asked.

The Hokage frowned and remained silent for some time. "It could. It could also hurt your chances if the wrong people found out the answer. I can have someone I trust do the test if you'd like."

"I would like that. Can they... also do a paternity test?"

Hiruzen raised an eyebrow at this. "And who, exactly, do you think your parents are?" He followed Menma's gaze and his eyebrow raised even further. "What makes you think you're related to him?"

"The Kyūbi told me he met my father the night he was sealed."

"Unfortunately I can tell you that you are not his son. Neither he, nor his wife, were related to the Uchiha clan in any way," Hiruzen said.

"Ah, about that... there was an Uchiha controlling the Kyūbi the night he attacked. He got sealed in with him and the seal absorbed him immediately. That's where my Sharingan comes from."

Hiruzen lit his pipe and smoked quietly for some time after hearing this. '_Could it be true? Was he right here in front of us this entire time?' _Finally his gaze focused on Menma. "I'll have a paternity test done for you as well. It will take some time for the results to come back though. I'll inform you when they do."

The boys nodded and left the office.

"Let's get you moved in to the Uchiha district. Whether the rest of the village acknowledges it or not, you're family now."

The old Hokage stood staring out the window after the boys left. "Bring me Jiraiya."

* * *

_(Hidden Location)_

"So... the jinchūriki has the Sharingan and can even summon and control the beast." A man sat at a small table with a file and a cup of tea sitting in front of him. Half of his face was bandaged, as was one of his arms. A cane leaned against the wall nearby.

The man quietly drank his tea. "We cannot let such power go to waste. Observe him. Dig up everything you can and report your findings."

With an emotionless acknowledgement a cloaked figured vanished.

"I will have your power, boy. Even if I have to crush you to obtain it," the man swore. The man stood to go 'convince' some councillors it was a good idea to allow the boy to become an Uchiha. After all, what was the life of one or two boys when you had already destroyed an entire clan?

* * *

_(Hokage's Office)_

"Jiraiya," Hiruzen said without looking up from the paperwork sitting on the desk in front of him.

"As good as ever, huh sensei?" The white-haired man said, entering through the window. "So, what do you need?"

"You're going to bring Tsunade back to Konoha," Hiruzen replied.

"Again? You know how these usually go," he replied with a frown. "She'll just refuse again."

"You misunderstand," Hiruzen replied, pushing some pages towards him. "She _will_ return, or those will be added to the bingo book."

Jiraiya picked up the pages and read them over, his eyes widened as he saw they were entries for both Tsunade, and her apprentice, Shizune. "You... you're pretty serious this time. What's going on?"

The Hokage paused in his paperwork and stared blankly ahead. "Do you remember Menma?"

"Menma? Ah, the brat Minato sealed Kyūbi in to," Jiraiya said, tucking the pages away. "What about him?"

"Do you also remember the rumors that were floating around the village after Kyūbi's attack?"

"The ones about the Uchiha controlling him? I remember."

Hiruzen sighed and turned towards Jiraiya. "They were true. There was an Uchiha that got sealed into Menma along with Kyūbi. He was absorbed by the seal first. That's how he got his Sharingan."

"If he's not Uchiha then who are his parents?"

Hiruzen stared at him for a moment before his gaze drifted over to a picture of Minato.

"You... you think?"

"You know Minato better than I do, Jiraiya," the old man said. "Would he use another child when he could use his own?"

"You told me Naruto died!"

"Yes, because that's what we believed at the time. The place Kushina gave birth in was destroyed. We couldn't find anything so we thought the two had died in the attack." Hiruzen pulled some more paperwork out and handed it to Jiraiya. "That's why I need Tsunade back."

Jiraiya looked over the pages he had been handed. "You want her to find out if he's Minato's kid."

Hiruzen nodded. "And to see if he'll pass on the Sharingan."

Jiraiya handed them back and turned for the window. "I'll go get her after I see him."

"Jiraiya," Hiruzen said before he could jump out the window. "We don't have any proof yet."

"I won't approach him yet. I just want to see him before I leave."

Hiruzen stared at him silently for a bit. "I believe he was going to move into the Uchiha district."

Jiraiya nodded and vanished.

* * *

_(Konoha)_

A week had passed since Menma had moved in to the Uchiha district. He was wandering around Konoha late at night thinking back over what had happened during the week. Team 7 had met the rest of their classmates and learned what had happened during the exams. They also heard about the preliminary fights.

In exchange they had been interrogated on their Wave mission. Team 7 told them about Gatō and how he had cut Wave off from the rest of the world. They told them about their different missions at the bases and how they went. They left out sensitive information such as Menma's eye and the Kyūbi. They told them about their fight with Orochimaru but left out the curse marks.

Sakura and Sasuke had been shocked to find out they had fought against one of the sannin.

Menma found himself at an old intersection. To his right, the road was lit and led to an orphanage. To his left, the road was dark and led to a section of the Uchiha district he had avoided since he moved in. He paused at the intersection and stared at the darkened path.

_"Do you return to what you know, or do you follow me into shadow?"_

Menma frowned as he remembered her words. '_Could I have done more that night?'_

With a look of determination on his face he walked once more down the dark path. For a time, he would return to his past.

* * *

_(Uchiha District)_

He walked slowly, retracing his steps from that night. The air had the same heavy feeling it had back then. When he reached her house it was exactly as it had been that night. The front door was still broken in, and the wall smashed. He had expected the inside to trashed and ruined having no door to keep out the elements for years, but it was unchanged, almost like time had stopped moving in the district after that night.

He stepped into the small house. As he walked in he came to a stop where a large blood stain lay. The spot where he had watched that man kill his first teacher. He continued past the stain towards the back of the house.

Sliding open a door revealed a porch and a small back yard. As he stepped out on the porch he was so deep in his memories he could almost see a smaller version of himself facing his former teacher. The young version was being scolded.

"_Speaking in battle is a sin! If the enemy is going to stand around bragging about how powerful he is or explain how his technique works, KILL HIM. It's an opening, USE IT."_

He shook his head. '_She was right, at least. If someone is going to stand around for me I'll use it to my advantage.'_

He turned around and headed back inside, closing the door behind him. His gaze travelled over the house and fell on the dining table he had sat at all those years ago.

_"Not all ninja are heroes. It's a hard life and many turn out bad, but... I'm sure you'll grow up to be a fine ninja."_

He thought back on Wave, on Haku and Zabuza. '_Would she consider them heroes? One died to protect the person they cared about and the other killed a tyrant. At the very least she would consider them strong.'_

He turned and walked past the broken wall. On the other side was her bedroom and he had only ever caught a glimpse of it once. Most of the furniture in the room was smashed and blood was spattered across the floor. He noticed something that looked like a handle poking out from underneath her bed. Pulling it out revealed a large war fan. He glanced back at the smashed wall.

'_Probably got knocked off when he threw her through the wall.'_

Holding the fan up he examined it carefully. It was a rather plain solid wooden color with black trim and a red mitsudomoe on either side of the top. The long handle was wrapped and it had a hole at the bottom, likely for attaching a chain or rope. He had asked her about it when he saw it, but she had been rather elusive about it. Her only response had been that it was a reminder.

He gripped the handle tightly. '_If it could be a reminder for her then it can do the same for me.'_

He stepped back out into the main room and looked over the place again. He noticed that one of the pictures had been knocked down, the glass shattered and spread on the floor. Picking it up he saw that it was the picture of her and her husband. The picture was crooked in the frame and he saw writing along the bottom edge. He pulled the picture out of the frame to reveal two names on the bottom. He dropped the picture and slowly walked out of the house.

He paused just before reaching the street and turned back to look at the house.  
_"Not all ninja are heroes." _He didn't understand when she had told him that eight years ago.

_"Do you return to what you know, or do you follow me into shadow?" _How could he? He was still too young. He hadn't seen how the world worked.

He turned away from the house. Two paths lay before him. The one on the right was illuminated by the moon. The one to the left was dark.

_"I would dirty my hands for him, I would die for him,"_ the boy had said. "_I... would stain my soul for him." _

He understood now. He knew what it took to protect those precious to him.

_Sacrifice._

He walked down the dark path.

* * *

**End Chapter 11**

**A/N:**

Next time is the Sand-Sound Invasion. Let me know if you catch any typos and such. Not much else to say again, so, see you next time.


	13. Invasion

**ddk:** Yes, any old medic nin _could _perform the tests, but Hiruzen wants to keep it quiet. As for the seal... let me see if I can simplify it a bit. Kurama's seal acts as a cage that sucks chakra out of bijū until they're gone(at least for this story). Tobi/Orochimaru are not bijū. Kurama doesn't like having bits of other people floating around. After he saw what happened with Tobi, he blocked Orochimaru's soul bit from getting sucked up. That gave Menma 3 choices.

1) Do nothing. Kurama continues to block Orochimaru and horrible things happen.  
2) Kurama stops blocking it. Orochimaru's soul gets sucked up and horrible things happen.  
3) Kurama overloads it. Orochimaru's soul goes boom and Menma gets a new power with drawbacks.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

_(Hokage's Office)_

Hiruzen ignored the door as it slammed open hard enough to crack.

"How dare you!"

"Hello, Tsunade," the old man said, pulling out a file and placing it near the end of the desk. "That is your first assignment."

The blonde stomped forward with a look of fury. "You know how much I've lost!"

"And how many other people have lost what you have? How many others have lost more?"

"But-"

"How many of them have fled their duty? Fled the past? It's time you stop acting like a child, Tsunade. Your time outside Konoha is finished."

"You can't-"

"I can, and I am. Unless, of course, you feel like seducing women and writing smut as a cover for managing a spy network?" Hiruzen smirked as she sputtered and flushed. "I didn't think so. You're dismissed, Tsunade."

She sputtered a bit more before growling, grabbing the file, and stomping out of the room.

Hiruzen slumped after she had left the room and sighed. "That took ten years off my life..." He pulled out his pipe and paused as he looked over all the paperwork on his desk.

* * *

_(Konoha Hospital)_

Menma was sitting in a hospital room after two women had run a bunch of tests on him. As he sat the two women entered the room.

The first, was an attractive blonde with the largest bust he had ever seen, although she would look better if she weren't scowling the whole time. That combined with her clipped questions made it apparent she was bitter over something.

The other woman had black hair and eyes. She was nice enough and seemed to be doing what she could to calm the other woman down.

The blonde spoke up as she looked over some paperwork. "Well how about that? He is your father." She looked at him with a sneer. "You must be so proud of him for throwing away his life like that."

"From what I've heard about him in the academy he believe the village was more important than his own life," he replied. "So, yes, I am."

"He was a fool!"

Menma stared at her curiously. "You're awfully bitter over this."

"I've lost a brother and a lover to this village. They both gave up their lives for it. Anyone who trades their life away like that is a fool," she snarled.

"Anyone?" He turned to look at the dark haired woman. "What's your name?"

"Shizune," the woman replied, handing him the paperwork from the finished tests.

He turned back to the blonde "You two seem fairly close."

"What of it?" She snapped.

"If you had to choose between your life, or Shizune's life, you would let her die?"

"Of course not! I would choose myself every time!"

Menma stood, walked over to the door, and paused before exiting the room. "Then you're like them. You would trade your life for hers. By your own logic, you're a fool too. The only difference between you and them is they saw a village full of Shizunes."

He walked out of the room leaving the two shocked women behind. He flipped through the paperwork as he walked. '_So he really was my father... and I'll pass on the Sharingan.'_

* * *

_(Menma's Room)_

Menma found himself standing in front of a familiar gate.

"So, what do you want?"

"**I told you that you had a few days at most and it's been almost a month, useless little creature."**

"The curse seal? What happened?"

"**After the three days I told you that you had passed I burned out the soul piece. You can no longer use my chakra directly. Any chakra you try taking from me will simply drain into that seal making it stronger."**

"So why not just dump everything you have into it now and be done with it?

The Kyūbi pounded on the gate with a tail causing it to rattle. "**This prevents me from doing so. If I could simply flood your body with my chakra I could kill you and be free."**

Menma frowned. "It's always something... how strong is that seal right now? How can we make it stronger?"

"**It contains one tail worth of power. The only way to strengthen it is time. I can send a small trickle of power to it constantly, or I can send a burst of power and then get locked out for a time."**

"How long does it lock you out? Can you send another burst now?"

'**A month per tail each time, and yes, I can."**

"Do it. Keep doing it every time you can, I want this thing finished as quickly as possible."

Kyūbi glared down at his before glowing briefly. "**It's done. The other seal now contains two tails worth of power."**

With a nod, Menma disappeared from the seal.

The Kyūbi grinned maliciously once the boy was gone. "**An equal number of months per tail each time we charge it." **It sank backwards into the darkness of the cage. "**Only a few years left until I'm free."**

* * *

BAM. BAM. BAM.

Menma jerked awake to be blinded by the sun. With a growl he pulled himself out of bed. "I'm starting to see a pattern here."

He staggered over to the door and threw it open to reveal Sasuke. Sasuke blinked in surprise. "You were sleeping? You never sleep."

Menma grunted and staggered back into the room to dress. He quickly threw on his pants and shirt and glanced at his coat. It had suffered quite horribly in Wave. It was tattered and worn in numerous places. Some of the fur around the collar was even permanently stained from blood. With a frown he put it aside and pulled out his chūnin vest.

He looked himself over in the mirror and frowned. Black, red, and... pale green. It wasn't pretty. He sighed and removed it. "I'll need to buy a new coat or at least a better matching vest later."

He walked back to the hallway and closed his door behind him. Sasuke gave him a curious look. "No coat or forehead protector?"

Menma rubbed his forehead and recalled taking it off the night before. "The coat is in bad shape. I need a new one, and we're just watching the finals, not participating, so who cares if it's missing."

The two quickly left the Uchiha compound to find Sakura waiting outside for them. "You almost look like a civilian."

"Yeah, yeah, let's go."

* * *

_(Chūnin Exams Finals)_

The exams had been interesting enough for the most part. Shino hadn't gotten to fight an opponent yet as the Suna ninja he was supposed to face forfeit before the match even started.

Shikamaru had done the same against the Suna kunoichi. She took offense to that and tried to beat him to death when she returned from the arena.

Eventually it came down to the two finalists, Hyūga Neji and Sabaku no Gaara. Neji, in all his arrogance, had blabbered on about how trash like Gaara was fated to lose to him.

Gaara wasn't losing.

Neji had been unable to land a single blow on him so far. Every time he tried to get close Gaara's sand shield would protect him. Neji had taken a beating throughout the fight and was barely standing by the time Gaara decided to end it.

With a simple "Mother doesn't want your blood," he impaled the Hyūga through a lung with a spear of sand.

"Winner! Sabaku no Gaara!" Those words marked the start of chaos.

Feathers fell from above. In the short time it took ninja to recognize the genjutsu and dispel it Gaara had transformed into a sand monster.

Jiraiya had jumped down and turned the arena floor into a giant mud swamp to prevent him from getting free and causing too much damage.

The Kazekage and Hokage had vanished somewhere while enemy ninja flooded the stadium.

Many of the Konoha ninja had primarily concerned with evacuating civilians. Sasuke and Sakura had moved to intercept enemy ninja when Menma found himself roughly grabbed and thrust into a throng of fleeing civilians. By the time he managed to force his way out of the stampeding civilians he found himself outside of the stadium and halfway to a shelter.

As he broke free of the group he felt himself immediately grabbed and being forced back towards the others. "Damn it, knock it off! I'm not a civilian!"

"Relax, kid," the random ninja told him. "No need to act like a hero when your girl isn't around to see it. Just let us handle this."

Menma was contemplating stabbing him when a familiar Inuzuka showed up. "Kiba! Tell this bastard I'm a ninja!"

Kiba ground to a halt when he heard his name called and whipped towards the voice. "Menma, thank god! You have to help me, they took Hinata!"

Menma turned to the man holding on to him. "Believe me now, asshole?"

The man frowned at him. "Where's your headband? Where's your gear?"

"I was expecting to watch genin beat the crap out of each other all day, alright? Not fight off an invasion!"

The man cast a glance over Kiba and Akamaru before letting Menma go. "Genin should be helping the civilians to the shelters, not chase down enemy ninja."

Kiba jerked a thumb at Menma as they started running off. "It's ok, he's a chūnin!"

The two had tracked down and saved Hinata easily enough, although Menma had used his Sharingan numerous times to avoid danger along the way. Hinata had only been captured because she was still recovering from her fight with Neji.

Afterwards Menma had bid them goodbye and hurried to the stadium where a giant creature of sand could be seen.

* * *

'_Is that the Suna guy? What the hell is he?' _Menma arrived at the stadium to see that all that remained were the dead civilians that didn't escape in time and a couple fleeing groups of ninja.

Facing off against the giant creature he could see a wounded Sasuke and Sakura as well as a white-haired man with red marks on his face.

He was about to call out to them when the beast slammed a hand down on them and laughed maniacally.

"**I killed them! I killed them! Ahahahaha!"**

Menma stared in shock, his Sharingan changing shape to resemble three scythes arranged in a circle. "_Why? Why am I so weak? If I'd been faster, stronger, I could have gotten here in time to save them..."_

"**Ooooh, look! More things to kill!" **The monster turned towards Menma.

Menma blankly looked around. The white-haired man was gone. He couldn't see any other Konoha ninja within the stadium. He tried to see the crushed bodies of his friends, but the ground they had been on was crushed into an indentation of the beasts hand. He looked up at the creature that seemed to be raising its hand to smash him in slow motion. His gaze locked on to it's forehead.

'_That boy. Gaara. It's his fault.' _His eyes narrowed as he glared. "I'll kill you." His bit his thumb and flashed through hand signs.

A roar and a surge of power rippled across Konoha causing ninja from the Sand, Sound, and Konoha to pause in their attacks and turn towards the source.

In the stadium where the exams had been taking place stood a large creature made out of sand with its mouth hanging open in shock, it's fist cocked back and ready to strike.

Across from it stood a colossal red fox, nine tails writhing in the air behind it.

The Kyūbi had return to Konoha.

* * *

**End Chapter 12**

**A/N:**

Since I don't think I did a very good job explaining it, yes, it is Obito's/Kakashi's Mangekyō Sharingan. What that means for the future, you'll just have to wait and see.

The chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but these things happen.

Also, this chapter is raw. Meaning I didn't bother to spell check or proofread. Deal with it. Or point out typos and mistakes, I might fix them later.


	14. Invasion 2

**serialkeller: **I've noticed how he has yet to explain that. Kakashi isn't going blind from it either, is he? (I honestly stopped reading the manga forever ago. It pissed me off too much.) Menma won't go blind from it either, but at least I can blame it on Kurama or something.

**Foxstar: **Glad you enjoy it and please do. I'm getting lazy at cleaning up my chapters. As for Japanese, my knowledge of the language is pretty limited, and what I do know the site would rate MA, sooo... try an online dictionary, perhaps? It will probably end up as the English-Japanese equivalent of Engrish but it should work. I personally use jisho dot org when I find a word I don't know.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

_(Konoha Exam Stadium)_

Menma stood on the Kyūbi's head, glaring at the creature made of sand in front of them.

"**Ah, my full strength this time. It must be something you can't useless apes can't handle."**

"Kill that thing," Menma said angrily.

The Kyūbi turned his gaze to the creature Menma wanted killed. "**Shukaku?"** He grinned maliciously. "**I'm going to enjoy this."**

"**Kurama?! Wait! We can destr- oghck!"** The sand beast tried to reason with him, only to have jaws clamp down on his throat and tear it out. He run around flailing and destroying the arena as sand reformed his throat. "**That hurt!"**

"I'd prefer you keep the collateral damage to a minimum," Menma said, "If you get him outside of the village, however, you can go wild."

Nine tails shot out, spearing and wrapping around the creature. It was picked up and slammed into the ground before a mighty hurl sent it flying over Konoha and out into the wilderness beyond. The Kyūbi chased after it, Menma on his head glaring death at the sand creature.

As the two ran through Konoha destroying buildings along the way a trio of people appeared on one of the relatively undestroyed sections of the exams arena.

"Whew, that was close," the man looked around at the destroyed arena. "Ah! Where are all the ladies to see the great Jiraiya's heroic rescue?!"

The two others stood up shakily.

"Ugh, how do we fight something like that? How are we going to beat it?" A certain pink-haired girl asked.

"You don't," Jiraiya responded, staring at the Kyūbi as it rushed through Konoha with a frown. "This is bad... an invasion with both of them running loose. You two... do... something. I need to go prepare some things. Avoid those two if you can."

"Why would we avoi-" Sasuke started to reply, only to find the man already gone. He shook his head and turned to Sakura. "Come on, let's go help our teammate."

The two were just about to rush off after him when a grey-haired man wearing glasses appeared in front of them. "I'm afraid I can't let you do that. With both of them running around like that things will go even better than we had planned."

The two members of Team 7 prepared for a fight. "Who are you?" Sasuke demanded.

"My name is Yakushi Kabuto," he replied, dropping into a stance.

* * *

_(Konoha Outskirts)_

The Kyūbi was nearing the walls of the village where several giant snakes could be seen. "That thing. You called it a Shukaku?"

"_**Ichibi no Shukaku," **_he replied. "**The weakest of the bijū."**

"It called you Kurama. Is that your name?" Menma asked, eyeing the giant snakes attacking the village.

The Kyūbi growled. "**You don't deserve to know my name, fool."**

"No? Then maybe I should desummon you," Menma replied. "I brought you out with your full power and gave you something to play with. I was even going to let you kill those snakes over there and as many ninja with those music notes on their foreheads as you could."

As they approached the snakes the Konoha ninja fell back, terrified at facing the Kyūbi. The enemy ninja and the snakes watched them warily. "See? They're even sitting still for you."

The Kyūbi charged up a relatively small bijūdama and fired, annihilating the Sound ninja and a good portion of the wall. "**Summon me for this sort of thing more often and I'll let you use it." **He lunged forward at the snakes, biting and tearing into them.

Menma watched on as the snakes were torn apart before they could return to their own realm. He grimaced and dodged to the side as a chunk of snake flew past his head nearly hitting him. "Well, there's not much you can do to stop me from using it now that I know it."

"**You won't if you know what's good for you, hairless ape," **he growled in reply.

Menma snorted. "You call me whatever you like so why should I do any differently, Kurama?"

He finished tearing the last snake apart and started running through the forest to where Shukaku had landed. "**I'll tear you limb from limb, meatbag."**

"And kill yourself in the process? I don't think so." Menma smirked, he and Kurama both knew there wasn't a thing he could do about it. "Hey look, there's your little brother."

"**Don't ever call that thing my family again!" **Kurama roared. "**He's pathetic!"**

"Just the same, let's finish this." Kurama ground to a halt in front of Shukaku as he struggled to his feet groaning.

* * *

_(Exams Stadium)_

Kabuto had underestimated them. The fight had originally gone in his favor. He had been toying with them and allowed a few minor attacks to hit him. He even allowed a larger attack to hit him so he could heal it and discourage them.

It only made them fight harder.

Now he had taken a couple large attacks and they had been keeping him off balance. He didn't have the time to use his skill to recover from them.

'_I thought he had been joking when he said the only reason he won was because he surprised them with the curse seal.'_

That moment of distraction was all Team 7 needed. Sakura, who had been using her affinity for earth to strengthen her blows, landed a crippling blow to his back, launching him forward to Sasuke.

Sasuke, who had seen it coming with his Sharingan, had already prepared. "Chidori!" His hand dove right through Kabuto's heart. If they had left it at that he might have been able to survive, but Team 7 wasn't taking any chances. Sakura, who had followed after her kick, grabbed his head and wrenched it violently to the side. With a sickening crunch and a squelch of a hand being removed Kabuto dropped to the ground dead.

The two sat for a moment catching their breath. "We need to get stronger. That guy was tough." Sasuke panted out.

Sakura nodded and then after a few more moments of catching their breath, turned to the path of destruction leading out of Konoha. "Let's go, Menma might need help."

* * *

_(Konoha)_

Jiraiya had gathered the supplies he would need for the sealing. He had passed a barrier earlier behind which he could see Orochimaru and Hiruzen, but the Kyūbi was the greater of the two evils. If it couldn't be stopped then Konoha was doomed.

As he landed on a particularly tall building he looked around the village for the Kyūbi and was surprised to find it outside the village fighting against the Shukaku. "Good. That buys us a little time, at least."

With that huge blast that had destroyed a large portion of the Sound ninja and their snake summons the battle had turned in Konoha's favor. He stopped by the various fights he came across on his way towards the Kyūbi to help finish off whatever Sound or Sand ninja they came across. Taking the Konoha ninja that could still fight along he had amassed a sizeable group by the time they reached the destroyed village wall.

He paused there and turned to face the group he had gathered. "As I'm sure you're all aware, the Kyūbi is back. Right now it's fighting against the Shukaku. If we get there before the two finish their fight, stay back. Konoha couldn't hold back the Kyūbi when he was the only one to attack 12 years ago. An invasion and Shukaku on top of that is suicide. We'll wait for one of them to win, then deal with the remaining one when they're weakened. Let's go." After his small speech the group jumped into the trees.

* * *

_(Forest Outside Konoha)_

Shukaku was confused. He knew the way things were supposed to go. His container would let him out to have some fun crushing a village.

No one said anything about Kurama being there.

He struggled to his feet and groaned. As he shook his head to clear it out he felt a presence behind him. He turned around and growled at Kurama. It was all his fault! He was the one that made everything wrong! He was the one that hurt him and stole his fun! He even made him fly! He's not supposed to fly! _Chōmei_ is!

With a roar he jumped backwards to give himself some space and started charging a bijūdama.

Menma smirked. "Say, Kurama, that little attack you used at the walls wasn't the best you could do, was it?"

"**Don't insult me! That wasn't anywhere near my best!"**

"I'm not insulting you, Shukaku is." He waved his hand at the beast standing across from them. "Look at that thing. Does he really think he can beat you with that?"

Kurama growled at that and charged his own. Before long it compressed into a small ball and he swallowed it.

Shukaku fired his orb. Kurama opened his mouth and a beam of energy shot forth, tearing apart the land as it streaked towards Shukaku and his orb.

When the two attacks met there was a blinding flash. The earth shook. Massive trees were uprooted and tossed around like matchsticks. Winds tore apart what remained. In the end, there was a massive crater with a quickly dissolving Shukaku on the far side. A red-headed boy could be seen emerging from all the sand.

"Mind dropping me off over there? I want to deal with him personally," Menma said coldly.

Kurama snorted at that but carried him over to the boy anyways.

Gaara was scared. Terrified. He was so far beyond fear that all he could do was stare up at the boy glaring down at him in awe. They had _crushed_ Mother. No, only the beast had, but the boy could control it. How much stronger would he have to be to do that? "How? How are you so strong?"

Menma sneered down at him. "I'm strong because I was fighting for my teammates. Teammates _you_ killed."

"You lie! You're only strong when fighting for yourself!"

"You're an idiot. Can you protect someone else when you're dead?" Menma shook his head. "No. So if you want to protect someone else you have to be strong enough to keep yourself alive, and them as well. What happens when you want to protect two people? Three? A village?"

"But... then who will I kill? How will I prove my existence?"

"You prove your existence by killing other people?" Gaara nodded. "Then what happens when you're the last person alive? How do you prove your existence then?"

Gaara could only stare at him blankly. Menma shook his head and raised a kunai. "It doesn't matter. You die today."

"Stop!" Menma turned to see a familiar pink head of hair panting and trying to talk to him. "I know we killed a lot of people in Wave, but he's unarmed!"

"You're... both alive?" Menma blinked before trying to dispel a genjutsu. "How?"

"That old guy saved us," Sasuke replied.

More ninja showed up. A blonde-haired girl with a fan and a make-up wearing boy in a catsuit. They both wore the Suna symbol. Menma dropped the kunai he had scavenged from a ninja and waved a hand dismissively. The two Suna ninja grabbed Gaara and vanished.

Menma turned to his two teammates to talk when the sounds of countless jutsu and Kurama roaring could be heard. Konoha ninja were attacking Kurama while they dealt with Gaara.

With a sigh Menma dismissed him and turned to the Konoha ninja lead by the white-haired man. "Why are you attacking my summon?" Menma glared at the group.

The Konoha ninja could only stare in shock, all of them thinking the same thing. '_He can summon the Kyūbi?'_

* * *

_(Hidden Location)_

Danzō couldn't be happier. Orochimaru had killed Hiruzen but had failed to destroy the village. He had even been forced to flee after suffering a crippling injury from the Hokage.

The jinchūriki had summoned the Kyūbi inside of Konoha to fight against Suna's demon. His poor handling of the beast had caused a lot of destruction and made the villagers terrified of him, yes, but he had proven he could control the beast. Even better, he had admitted to a good portion of the ninja of the village that he could summon the beast at will. Surely the village would demand he be turned into a weapon now.

On top of all of that, there had been very few casualties. Perhaps it was because Tsunade was in the village, but the reason didn't really matter. Buildings could be repaired and rebuilt fairly easily. Ninja took time to grow and train.

Danzō took a sip of his tea. The Uchiha's adoption request hadn't gone through yet. If he played it right, convinced people he was plotting something with the demon's power, he might just be able to get him into ROOT as well.

The position of Hokage, a jinchūriki and his pet bijū, the last Uchiha, and one of Konoha's greatest enemies crippled. Everything he wanted was now almost within his grasp. He allowed himself a rare smile. Today was a good day.

* * *

**End Chapter 13**

**A/N:**

Another short chapter. I doubt I'll proof or spell check this one either. I'm getting lazy in that department.

This pretty much wraps up the chunin exams/Sand-Sound invasion arc. Since Tsunade is already in Konoha I'll have to think on how I want the next bit to go. That might mean a slowdown in chapter posting, we'll see how it goes.


	15. Down the Dark Path

**MissAzuka: **Glad you're enjoying it. The main reason behind it is because Menma looks cooler and the universe is because I haven't seen RTN. As for Kabuto, both he and Orochimaru are very good ninja, but they both share a major flaw - arrogance. With Team 7 being stronger this time around I figured it would fit better. If people don't like it they can always imagine Sasuke using his curse seal too. I probably should have added that in, but oh well. As for reviving him? Hmm, I hadn't thought of that.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

_(Konoha)_

"Not interested," the blonde said.

"Tsunade, please. You know I can't do it, I have to run my spy network," Jiraiya pleaded.

"They'll find someone else to do it. Shizuna and I are leaving Konoha."

"_Shimura Danzō," _Jiraiya said with a sigh. "He's the one that will become Hokage if you don't. You remember what sensei told us about him, don't you? What do you think the first thing he will do is? He'll force you to come back. You'll either be stuck here anyways, or spend the rest of your life running from hunter-nin along with all those debt collectors."

Tsunade paused briefly before snorting and continuing her packing. "They wouldn't make him Hokage."

"They're already trying." He pulled out a file and dropped it on the table. "Minato's kid used the Kyūbi. You saw it just like the rest of us. The villagers are ready to burn him at the stake. Danzō has convinced them that he can control the boy and the Kyūbi."

Tsunade picked up the file and started flipping through the pages.

"What do you think he'll do if he becomes Hokage? He'll turn the boy into a weapon. He'll start wars, Tsunade. Either you'll be running from hunter-nin or in the middle of a war healing ninja. Is that what you want? Is that what you want for Shizune? You know some villages out there won't hesitate to target medics."

Tsunade sat down as she studied the file more closely. "He's after the last Uchiha too?"

Jiraiya frowned. "The villagers remember the rumor that the Kyūbi had the Sharingan in its eyes the night it attacked. They were suspicious of the Uchiha before the massacre. The fact that he was trying to bring Menma into the clan was leaked. Combine that with him summoning the thing? They're coming up with all kinds of crazy theories now."

As Tsunade sat reading over the pages Jiraiya pulled out another larger file. Tsunade raised an eyebrow curiously at the large file.

Jiraiya hesitated before placing it on the table. "Sensei could never prove it, but he believed Danzō was the one behind the Uchiha Massacre. This file contains everything else he suspected Danzō had a hand in."

Tsunade picked up the larger file and began flipping through it. Her eyes grew larger as she read more.

"Tsunade... please become the Godaime Hokage. You can save the village. Save Minato's son."

"I... I need some time to think about all of this."

Jiraiya nodded and walked over to a window. He paused and turned back before jumping out. "Remember - a village full of Shizunes."

She turned to glare at him but he was already gone. '_Of course the old perv was spying on us.'_

* * *

Tsunade was drunk. She was trying to decide if she should become the Godaime Hokage, so she had needed a drink. While she had been drinking she had come across a huge discovery.

The village was full of Shizunes! Over there! And there too! And that one behind her!

In her infinite drunken wisdom she had decided to climb up the Hokage monument to get a better view of the village full of Shizunes. At the top of the monument she came across the first person that wasn't Shizune. She squinted at him. It was the brat she had come back to the village to run those tests on. What was his name again?

"Memma?" She slurred out.

He turned around to look curiously at the person that had addressed him. "Menma, but close enough. Are you... drunk?"

"You'ere right! The fillage is vull of Shizunes!" She pointed at some random bald guy down in the village. "Look! Shizune!"

"Uh... huh... how about that," he agreed.

They had talked for awhile. Talked about the past. Talked about the position of Hokage. She became more and more sober as time passed. Eventually he asked her what she thought it meant to be a ninja. She couldn't answer.

"Sacrifice," Menma said. "That's probably what Dan and Nawaki believed. That's what my father believed. They sacrificed everything to protect what was precious to them."

He glanced over at her to find her staring down at the village below. "You're on the right path, Tsunade. I'm sure you'll be a great Hokage."

With a wave, he vanished, leaving her to her thoughts.

* * *

It had been a week since he had met Tsunade on the Hokage monument. If the rumors were to be believed she had decided to become the Hokage. It hadn't been easy, however, as half the village wanted some old cripple as their Hokage. Apparently they were supposed to be deciding today, or announcing who won today, or... something. He didn't really care.

During the week he had met the white-haired guy from the invasion once again. He learned he was Jiraiya, the third and final member of the sannin. He had officially met all three of them now. The man had even offered to teach him one of his father's techniques - the Rasengan. He had made good progress on the technique, completing the second stage already. He had been told it was a three stage process, and although he hadn't been told the final stage, he could guess what it was.

It was during one of his attempts at figuring out the third stage himself that he realized something was different about his Sharingan. He would admit he was lazy regarding it. Where other Uchiha might add little bits of chakra until they reached the stage they wanted, or even remember how much chakra to use, he just dumped chakra in until it couldn't take any more. Like pouring water into a bucket, he just stopped once it was full. When he had done the same later in front of a mirror he had seen the change. Lucky for him he had access to Uchiha archives.

He found out that day that Tsunade had become the Godaime Hokage.

* * *

_(Hokage's Office)_

It had been a month since Menma met Tsunade on top of the Hokage monument. Danzō had been bitter over the loss of the Hokage position and had fought tooth and nail to get his hands on the boys.

Tsunade placed the scroll she was looking over on her desk and sighed.

"What's wrong, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked.

"Go find the biggest lecher in the village and drag him back here. I want to punch him until I feel better."

"I'll help willingly if I can avoid that beating." Jiraiya stepped in through a window.

Tsunade sighed and tapped the scroll she had just placed down. "They're demanding something be done. If I can't find a way out of this _Danzō _will get both of them." She spat the name out with venom.

Jiraiya read over the scroll. "What if I take one of them on as an apprentice? It'll keep one of them safe and give the other some measure of protection, being the only true Sharingan left in the village."

Tsunade laced his fingers together in front of her face. "It's probably best if you take Menma. The villagers still fear Kyūbi."

Jiraiya nodded. "I'll go tell him the good news."

* * *

_(Hokage Monument)_

"Why not just take both of us on as apprentices?" Menma asked. He found himself spending more and more time either hidden away in the Uchiha compound or on the monument since the invasion.

"I had a team before. It didn't end well, so I'm sticking to one."

"Take Sasuke," Menma replied.

Jiraiya sighed. "Whoever I don't take gets taken by and old warhawk named Danzō. He'll break you down. Turn you into a machine. We can't let him get Kyūbi, so I don't really have a choice. It has to be you."

"Even if I'm not really an Uchiha he is my brother, you know?" Menma looked back at him with a glare. "You expect me to condemn him just like that?"

"I'm sorry. Either way, we have no choice. We won't leave for a week so you have time to say goodbye to your friends."

Neither of them noticed the raven-haired boy that had been eavesdropping quietly slip away.

"And your family... be ready to leave in a week," Jiraiya said before vanishing.

Menma ground his teeth as he looked out over Konoha. Like hell he was going to let some crazy old cripple sink his claws into his family.

* * *

_(Uchiha Compound)_

Sasuke had also been given a week to prepare himself.

Menma had been pouring over the Uchiha archives trying to find anything that would help. He had heard about an Uchiha that had used a Mangekyō Sharingan technique to brainwash people. Maybe he could use it on that old bastard. If not him, maybe on Jiraiya to convince him to take on Sasuke as his apprentice instead.

He couldn't find any information on the technique, unfortunately. Perhaps it was unique to the man that used it. He did find information on another, more common, technique to Mangekyō Sharingan users, however.

"Tsukuyomi, huh?" Menma said as he poured over a scroll. "Not quite the same thing..." He would end his evening after learning of several techniques common among Mangekyō users. He had the knowledge, now all he needed was actual practice using the techniques.

* * *

Menma awoke confused and hazy. He glanced out the window to find it was still the middle of the night. He glanced around his room trying to figure out what was going on. He was in bed. '_Bed? I was sleeping? I don't remember going to sleep.'_

Normally the only times he slept were when he talked to Kurama, in which case he slept the entire night away, or when he trained himself into exhaustion. He wasn't in a training field so the second one was out. He glanced out the window again. '_Yes, still night. What's going on?'_

He swam through the haze trying to remember what had happened earlier. He started at the beginning of the day. '_Er... what day is it? Ah, right, the day before that old fool gets Sasuke and I get dragged off by Jiraiya.'_

Most of the day had been spent doing nothing unusual. He had spent it like most days since the invasion, hiding from the village. Sasuke had been acting strange all day, though. He spent most of it trying to spend as much time around him as possible. He had managed to drag him out for lunch. He even made dinner. '_He never makes dinner...'_

A memoried emerged from the haze partially. '_Something about... sake? He wanted to share a drink because we wouldn't see each other again for years...'_

He staggered to his feet and out the door to the hallway. He still felt _off_ but it was getting better. He made his way to Sasuke's door and put an ear to against it to listen. After several minutes of silence he knocked and listened again. Nothing. '_He's not in there?'_

He opened the door and froze. It was empty. Not just missing a body, but most of his possessions were gone as well. '_He ran. He drugged me so he could run away. That asshole.'_

It took him another half hour before most of the drug had been flushed out of his system. Once he was able to function normally again he quickly gathered up his gear and ran out into the night after him.

* * *

_(Forest Outside Konoha)_

It was dawn. Menma had passed an unconscious Sakura on a park bench along his path so he had no doubt that the village was already aware and chasing after Sasuke as well.

He had caught up to a group of four people escorting Sasuke towards Rice country. They had a music note on their forehead protectors. "Sasuke. Just where do you think you're going?"

"I know about Danzō," he replied quietly. "I know what he'll do to me. If I'm going to be someone's puppet I'd rather be Orochimaru's. He'll at least help me find Itachi."

Menma narrowed his eyes. "You still want revenge?"

"No," he said. "Well, if I don't like his answer, I might. I have to know the truth. I have to find him to learn why he killed everyone."

Menma stared at him before cautiously looking over the four other people. '_He just wants one of us, right? It doesn't matter which one it is?'_

"You understand, right? You understand why I have to do this," Sasuke said.

Menma dropped his head until his hair shadowed his face. He understood. Sasuke felt backed in to a corner, just like Mizuki. He felt this was his only choice for a future. He understood. This is what they had all been trying to teach him. What it means to be a ninja. He dumped chakra into his eye. "Yeah... I understand."

_Sacrifice._

He lifted his head to stare Sasuke in the eye. "Tsukuyomi," he said quietly.

Menma grabbed him and lowered him to the ground as he started slipping into unconsciousness. He pulled off his headband and placed it in Sasuke's hand. "I'll be back for this some day. I'll also find Itachi for you, so be patient," he whispered.

Standing he turned to the four Sound ninja. "Let's go. No doubt Konoha is right behind me."

A redheaded girl glared at him. "We kind of need duckass there, shithead."

Menma glared at her, his Mangekyō blazing. "Would Orochimaru rather have a boy with a regular Sharingan. Or me, with both the Mangekyō and the Kyūbi?"

One of the others spoke up. "He said either one. If you're coming with us, let's go."

Menma sent one last look at Sasuke. The sun fell across the boy's face as he lie. He turned to follow after the Sound ninja and smirked. The path through the trees was still dark.

Kakashi, Maito Gai, and Asuma showed up around ten minutes later to find Sasuke unconscious.

"The Uchiha's flames of youth are too dim! We must take him back to Konoha!"

Asuma grimaced and turned to Kakashi. "This is odd. You think he pushed himself too hard and passed out?"

Kakashi stared down at his student before looking up towards where Menma and the others had fled. They had detected them briefly before they vanished. "I'm not sure what happened, but I guess we got lucky. Let's get him back to the village."

It wouldn't be until days later when Sasuke finally woke that they found out Menma had swapped places with him. In the end, Jiraiya was right. He had no choice, he had to train Sasuke.

* * *

**End Chapter 14**

**A/N:**

A question for those that care to answer. Would you like to see some of the things Menma does while with Orochimaru or should I just go straight to the 3 year skip like canon does? Personally I'm leaning more towards the time skip. I suppose I _could_ go watch some of those Naruto movies that I hear take place during that time and type them up differently, but... does anyone even care about them?

Also, there will be a sort-of pairing for Menma in shippuden. Would you guys rather see a Konoha girl, or a Sound girl? Hinata is out, sorry. She's overdone and I just don't like her. Kin is alive, as she was supposed to revive the final Hokage that never made it for whatever reason, so Orochimaru kept her around. Let me know what you guys think.

As with the last couple of chapters, this one is raw. Feel free to inform me of grammar mistakes and typos.


	16. The Viper's Den

Well it was unanimous in what you guys wanted. Time skip! I'm not time skipping. Now now, don't form an angry mob. Please put the pitchforks and torches down. Let me explain.

I think you guys were mainly worried about seeing movie filler and/or filler in general. I won't be adding any filler. The problem was that once I thought about it I have a bunch to explain during this time frame. So it was either a fairly short arc with smaller time skips throughout or a whole bunch of flashbacks. I went for the small arc. Hopefully it's short and entertaining enough that you guys won't mind.

There won't really be any review responses this time as most of them were responses to my notes at the end of the previous chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 15**

_(Orochimaru's Base)_

Menma and the four Sound ninja had finally reached their destination. They quickly moved to a large room with ornate furnishings. It was empty, but they didn't have to wait long before someone else showed up.

"Kukuku. Menma-kun, I didn't think we'd be entertaining you."

Menma turned to the voice with a frown. "I did what I had to do. Besides, this gives me the chance to kill you like I said I would."

"Kukuku. Train hard, we'll see if you grow strong enough to defeat me in the time that you have left. Tayuya will show you to your room."

Orochimaru turned to the other three as Menma and Tayuya left the room. "Go fetch Karin. She will be taking over Kabuto's duties."

* * *

After being shown to his room Menma had started wandering around the base. It served several purposes. First and foremost, the base was a fairly large one with numerous people. He had no idea how long he would be staying here and was hoping he would come across a certain man before anything came up. Second, was the fact that just because he threw himself into the viper's den for Sasuke didn't mean he would just roll over and die. He hoped to find something he could use to his advantage while wandering around.

Before long Tayuya tracked him down. "Come on, shithead. Time for some training."

Menma briefly hoped it would be sparing. Maybe if he beat the hell out of her she'd learn some manners.

* * *

**1 week after joining**

Two important events happened to Menma today. First, he happened across one Uchiha Eiichi eating food after a mission. Menma would have made his sensei proud. He followed her teachings and stabbed the man in the back with a kunai before viciously ripping it out the side, cutting through the man's lung.

As the man rolled around on the floor bleeding he looked up and coughed out a bloody "You!"

Menma stared down at him coldly. "You didn't really think I'd let you get away with killing her, did you?"

"Orochimaru... won't let you... get away with this," the man choked out.

"Actually," Menma said nodding towards a certain shadowy figure that had come to watch. "I don't think he really minds."

The man turned to find Orochimaru watching the events unfold with a sinister grin on his face. He could only stare in shock as he slowly bled to death.

Menma ignored the bleeding man and turned to Orochimaru. "There's another man I'm after, Itachi."

"Are you going to deliver him to Sasuke-kun? Kukuku. Having a family is so nice, isn't it?"

Menma frowned and left after making sure Eiichi was dead.

* * *

It was later that day while he was exploring the base when he found another man. This man was very pale and sickly looking. He had white hair with two red dots on his forehead.

Menma found him staring blankly with tears dripping down his face. He was about to turn around and leave when he heard him mutter something. Thinking the man was talking to him he responded cleverly. "Huh?"

The man turned to him with a blank gaze before focusing on him. "You are... Orochimaru-sama's next vessel?"

"Er... Menma. I don't plan on becoming a vessel."

"You should be glad you have that honor. I am no longer needed... no longer wanted. My existence serves no purpose."

"You think you exist solely to be a vessel for him?" A nod. "And... you can't do that anymore?" another nod. "So find a new one."

The man's gaze turned to anger.

Menma held up his hands. "You said it yourself. Orochimaru no longer needs you and has no purpose for you. Find a new purpose, a new master."

"I am useless. No one would want me."

"Why are you useless?" Menma asked him.

"I am sick, and I will die soon."

Menma paused for a bit. He had heard something about one of Orochimaru's most favorite underlings being sick and tossed aside. "What was his name again? Kimi... Kimigayo?"

"Kimimaro," the man responded.

Menma flinched realizing he had spoken aloud. "Right. Why hasn't he healed you yet?"

"I have heard that Kabuto, the one that supplied my medicine, is dead. His medicine only slowed the disease down though. I can't be cured."

"That's..." Menma shook his head. "Even then, if I were Orochimaru I wouldn't throw you away like that. I'm sure you're still useful. You just need someone or something to give you a new purpose."

Kimimaro stared at him intently. "Would you give me that purpose?"

Menma stared back at him for a bit. '_Even if he's going to die soon there must be something he can do. If he was close to Orochimaru he could have information that would be helpful. I'll have to be careful though...' _With a nod he replied. "Yeah, I can give you one. It will take some time to get to it though, so don't give in to that disease just yet."

Kimimaro nodded and bowed briefly. "I will cling to life as long as you find me useful."

Menma nodded before leaving. "Good. I'll visit you again soon, Kimimaro."

_'I'll make sure to visit him regularly. I wonder how long it will be until he'll tell me about Orochimaru.'_

* * *

**1 month after joining**

Menma was on his way to his second 'date' with a girl by the name of Karin. When he had originally met her she had been fairly cold and professional towards him. A week ago that had all changed. They had been sent to round up a group of ninja for one of Orochimaru's facilities. During the mission Karin had made a mistake that would have resulted in her death if he hadn't intervened and taken a heavy wound in the process. Since then she had been fawning over him like a fangirl when they were alone, while keeping her professional attitude when around others.

As he entered the restaurant they had agreed to meet at he saw her sitting in a booth off in a corner waving to him. He noticed she was dressed nicely again and shook his head. '_I don't know why she insists on calling these dates, all we're doing is eating together.'_

His own clothing hadn't changed much yet. He had dropped the red and went straight black. Black sandals, black pants, black shirt. He had taken to wearing bracers that covered his forearms to hide his summoning tattoo and altered curse seal.

As he sat down Karin immediately swapped to his side and scooted across the bench until she was pressed right up against his side.

"You're going to make it difficult to eat, you know."

"Then I'll feed you," she said huskily.

He frowned and turned the discussion away to other things before she could go any further. She talked a bit about the research Orochimaru had her doing but most of it didn't interest him. Eventually she got around to talking about herself and mentioned her ability to heal others.

"Wait, you can heal others by biting them?"

"No! They have to bite me... I don't like to use it very often... it leaves marks."

"Marks?" Menma looked at her curiously.

She hesitated before rolling up her left sleeve revealing a few scattered bite marks on her arm. "I've kept it hidden. Even though it's really powerful, the bite marks never go away."

"Does Orochimaru know about it?"

"Of course! I think it's one of the reasons he wanted me."

Menma sat silently staring at the bite marks for a minute. "Has he asked you to use it on his followers?"

Karin shook her head. "He's only really used it himself, that's why there aren't that many yet."

"Would you use it for me?" Menma asked.

"I... I don't..."

Menma grimaced. "What if I took you on a date each time I asked for it to be used?"

"Ok!" She chirped before latching on to him and hugging tightly.

"You really should tone down your fangirl attitude a bit," he frowned. "I can't stand fangirls. Anyways, there's someone I want you to meet after this, alright?"

She nodded happily and rubbed her face against his chest.

'_If she's going to spend any time around me I'll break her fangirl tendencies,' _he sighed at her actions. '_One step at a time, I guess.'_

* * *

They had gone to see Kimimaro after their dinner. Karin had been her usual professional self. They had both confirmed that Orochimaru had never tried this to heal him.

"I... feel better. Not cured yet, but... better," Kimimaro had said afterwards.

Menma nodded. "Multiple treatments should fix it then. Remember where you bit her then. From now on that's the only spot you'll use."

Karin gave him a grateful look at that.

"I'll see you again soon, Kimimaro." With a wave, Menma and Karin left him.

Kimimaro was happy. He was useful again and his new master was even trying to keep him around longer.

* * *

**1 week later**

Menma finished the last mark and sat back as the ink dried on the scroll. He had returned the next day to visit Kimimaro after Karin used her healing on him to convert his curse seal. Just as he was about to convert it he figured out why Kurama had seemed so pleased when he asked if he could use it on others.

The seal stores a piece of the user inside it. Kurama had told him he would leave behind a piece of him whenever he charged or converted one.

'_What would have happened if I had tried to give someone power without blocking him? Would he have gained enough control over them to make them act as a puppet?'_

He shook his head. It didn't matter. He had the seal to block him now so he could convert curse seals as he wished.

When he arrived at Kimimaro's room he braced himself. They entered and sat quietly for a few minutes.

"Kimimaro, who are you loyal to? Orochimaru or myself?"

"Orochimaru no longer has a use for me. You do. There is no need to pick between you."

Menma stared at him. "And if you had to pick? If what I wanted directly opposed what he wanted?"

Kimimaro fell silent for awhile. "I... I think I would choose you. You helped me when he threw me aside. It wouldn't matter though, I have his mark, he will always control me."

Menma pulled off his left bracer and held up his arm so his mark was visible.

"Is that... a curse seal? It looks different." It looked almost like the cursed seal of heaven. Instead of three tomoe it looked like three fireballs.

"Originally it was. I used Kurama to change it to something else. Orochimaru's soul shard was destroyed."

"Can you change mine?"

Menma nodded and held up a scroll. "That's what I came here for. If you choose me over Orochimaru I'll free you from him."

"And you'll continue healing me? You'll give me purpose?" Menma nodded. Kimimaro took a minute to think before looking at him with determination. "Please free me."

Menma sacrificed one of his own power ups to burn out Kimimaro's seal. It would delay his own growth a bit but he got a powerful ally in exchange. Not a bad deal in his opinion.

* * *

**1 year after joining**

Kimimaro had made a full recovery after multiple treatments from Karin. As instructed, he used the same spot on her arm each time so she didn't get it filled up with bite marks. Something she was very grateful for. Menma had sacrificed a second power up to give Kimimaro access to a second stage of his seal, just like before. Kimimaro had explained all he knew about Orochimaru and his body snatching. He was fairly well informed after having been set as a host before his disease ruined that for Orochimaru.

Kurama was displeased greatly by Menma's actions. The boy had been unknowingly delaying his freedom from the seal. He had also found a way to counter any influence he might have on other seals he converted. Luckily the delay after each sacrifice was only one month, as he was using the tails of power he had previously gained to grant them to Kimimaro, resetting the counter for his own. Menma was currently at five tails worth of power in his seal, and had just started the timer for his next. Five months from now he would gain a sixth tail worth of power.

Karin had also been brought to his side. After continuously 'dating' her to help cure Kimimaro she had calmed down. Her fangirl attitude had all but vanished by this point. Menma had convinced her to produce a toxin for him that was undetectable by normal means. He had been secretly administering the poison to Orochimaru via his food for several months now. Orochimaru, after having been forced to quickly transfer to that body because of his fight with Hiruzen, simply thought it was the low quality body rejecting him faster than others.

* * *

Menma sat in his room late at night. He was blankly looking down at a scroll without really reading it. He had been told earlier that day about Itachi and Akatsuki.

'_So they're after Kurama. Itachi himself was even assigned directly to me.' _He clasped his hands in front of his face. '_It's convenient that one of my goals will come to me. Akatsuki, huh? I'll have to deal with them after Orochimaru. I should expand my power base. The more people I have on my side before I deal with Orochimaru the better off I'll be to deal with them when the time comes.'_

He leaned back in his chair and looked around the darkened room. "Plotting in the shadows,' he snorted. "Sensei would be proud."

He thought back to the picture he had found in her house that night. _'Uchiha Honoka...' _He mused. '_Maybe I should pay Konoha a visit.'_

He stood and rolled up the scroll that had everything he could find out about Itachi. "I think I will. Sasuke will want to know this and I miss my fan..."

* * *

A few days later Sasuke jerked awake in the middle of the night. Jiraiya and he had stopped in Konoha shortly to report some things they had found while wandering.

'_What woke me?' _He glanced around for a bit before he heard some noise coming from down the hall. '_Menma's room!'_

Jumping out of bed he flew down the hallway and threw the door open. The window was broken and he noticed the giant fan that used to hang above Menma's bed was missing. He was about to jump out after whoever it was when he noticed a scroll on the bed. It had a note attached to it.

He picked up the note and read it before skimming over the scroll. He dropped the note and looked out the window before quietly leaving the room to go back to sleep.

The note had two simple words on it.

_Be patient._

* * *

**End Chapter 15**

**A/N:**

First - I have not set this as a Naruto/Karin pairing. Yes, she's the most visible girl this chapter, but that doesn't mean she'll be the one. Those that were worried about Konoha girls not fitting the bill, there will be changes in the future that makes them acceptable. Although it'll likely be girls being attracted to a 'bad boy' image, so yeah. I'd turn it into a poll, but doing it this way tricks people into reviewing.

Second - As you can see we're already a year through the 3 year gap between Naruto and Shippuden. I'll probably wrap up this mini er... Sound arc? next chapter.

Third - Yes, Jiraiya and Sasuke went on a training trip. However, Sasuke isn't being hunted so they can afford to stop in towns and Konoha and such, which they did. Chalk it up to stopping to see if Konoha found anything out about Menma.

Fourth - The final bit, for those that are interested Kimigayo(君が代) is the Japanese National Anthem. It's ridiculously short. Like 5 lines short. Go look it up some time.


	17. The Viper's Den 2

**An Anonymous Gentleman: **Thanks. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

**OoOXylionOoO: **It's not really training but it does explain what he's been up to. I hope it works for you.

**serialkeller: **Unfortunately I don't have any plans for Naruto/Menma to have much contact with Kumo girls in this story. Sorry.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**1 y 6 mo after Menma joined Sound**

Sasuke cursed as his stomach growled loudly. Jiraiya had swiped his money when he wasn't looking to go blow it all on booze and hookers, and left him to starve. Most people would assume he could just go get more out of his bank account from the vast Uchiha fortunes he had inherited, but he didn't have free access to those until he married. Some nonsense about preserving it for the future of the clan or something.

He was closing in on one of the Uchiha hideouts he had learned of when he had been digging around the archives years ago. Even if there wasn't any food in it he might find something he could pawn off for some money.

As he finally found the hideout and entered he wasn't very hopeful. The place was in rough shape. Cracked and peeling walls, most of the lights didn't work, and every room he had looked in so far had been completely empty.

As he was walking down a hallway he almost missed a room that was cleverly hidden. "A hidden room in a secret hideout. How paranoid can you get?" The room was in better shape than the rest of the hideout. It even had some simple furniture. There was a desk in the corner that had a book and a scroll on it. Walking over to the desk he found that the scroll was a sealing scroll.

"Root? I hope it's some of the edible kind," he channeled chakra into it and a body appeared. It wore a cloak and a white animal mask. Sasuke blinked. "ANBU?" He shook his head and resealed the body into the scroll.

Turning to the book he opened it and began to read. He quickly discovered it was a journal written by Itachi. It explained about the coup and how he had been ordered by the Hokage to kill off his clan. Reading further it said he had been followed by ANBU that attacked him. After defeating them and capturing one alive he tried to interrogate the man. It explained how he had found the seal on the man's tongue and used Tsukuyomi to bypass it.

It was unfortunate that the man had died shortly after Itachi had used Tsukuyomi. He couldn't prove any of the information he had discovered. That a man named Shimura Danzō had been the one behind the Uchiha massacre and the attempt to 'clean up loose ends' by having Itachi assassinated.

Sasuke gathered up the journal and the scroll and headed for the door, his quest for food or money forgotten. Perhaps Jiraiya could help him and they could expose the man. Itachi may have killed their clan, but he had been acting under what he thought were the Hokage's orders. The true evil behind that event was that man, Shimura Danzō.

He paused as he exited the hideout and looked in the direction of Rice Country. He would be patient to meet Itachi again, especially now that he knew the reasons behind the massacre. Danzō, on the other hand, would pay for what he did. He frowned. Itachi was framed. If they could prove it they could lighten his sentence. How could he help Menma though? He had willingly gone to Orochimaru to protect him.

He frowned again and started walking back towards the town. "I'll fix this. I'll correct my mistakes."

* * *

**1 y 11 mo after Menma joined Sound**

Four individuals sat around a table in a room late at night. The room was dark with the only source of light being a candle in the center of the table.

The sole male figure had long black shaggy hair. He hadn't bothered to cut it since before that mission to Wave years ago and it now reached the middle of his back. His mismatched eyes turned to the woman sitting to his left.

The woman that sat there had red eyes and red hair that spiked on one side. She wore glasses that caught some of the low light from the candle and reflected it. '_Karin.'_ She still insisted on calling their meetings dates, even when they included other people like tonight.

To the right was a woman with black eyes and long straight black hair with a purple ribbon tied near the end. '_Kin.' _He had run several missions with her in the past and found her pleasant enough to be around. Eventually they had started spending time together outside of missions and after enough time had passed, approached her about joining them.

Sitting across from him was another woman with red hair. She wore a black cap that covered most of it and had brown eyes. She also had a fairly foul mouth but had some manners beat into her during the training sessions he often had with her. '_Tayuya.' _She had joined roughly six months ago after she found her best friend Kin spending time around them.

"He's deteriorating quickly. Give him another month, maybe two, and he'll have to swap," Karin reported.

Menma sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I didn't expect the poison to work this well. You're good at what you do, Karin." The girl flushed at his comment. "We don't have nearly enough people on our side yet."

"How many do we have?" Kin asked.

"The four of us and one other for sure. There might be a few cannon fodder that would side with us, but... Orochimaru is very good at manipulating people."

"Who's the fifth?" Tayuya suddenly asked.

Menma stared at her. "Before I answer that, we need to determine who you're loyal to."

"I've been with you for six months, shithead! Don't you think if I were a spy that Orochimaru would have stomped a mudhole in your ass already?"

Menma shook his head. "Not at all. He's the type that would set up a trap of some sort to ambush me when I went to confront him."

"Then how do you want me to prove it?" She growled out.

"Give up your curse seal."

"What?! But that's-"

"A collar. Orochimaru's collar," Kin interrupted her.

"Kin..." Tayuya looked at her sadly for a moment before grumbling. "Fine. It's on the back of my neck."

Menma stood and walked into one of the dark areas of the room. A few moments later he appeared behind Tayuya with a bottle of ink and a brush. He quickly applied a seal over the curse seal and then channeled Kurama's power through it, burning out Orochimaru's influence and replacing it with Kurama's.

"It's not gone?" Kin asked staring at the mark curiously.

"No. I change it to remove Orochimaru's power from it. It will still function as before only with a different source of power," he slipped back into the shadows to return the ink and brush to their proper places. "Although you're limited to stage one for now. In a month I can unlock stage two for you."

Tayuya nodded and blinked. "I don't feel him anymore."

"Like I said, his influence is gone and replaced with another. You can't feel the other because I applied a seal to suppress it," he said as he sat back down at the table. "Let's end this here for tonight. Tayuya will need to rest after that."

The girls nodded and made their exit. Menma remained sitting at the table. '_One month. It's not enough time.'_

* * *

**2 years after Menma joined Sound**

Menma had run out of time. Karin had just told him that Orochimaru planned on using his technique to steal his body tomorrow.

He had stepped up his plans but there was only so much he could do in the month he had. Glancing around his room his eyes fell on the fan he had taken from Honoka-sensei's house. He had been training with it a bit after seeing that Suna kunoichi using a metal fan for wind techniques. He had primarily focused on his fire techniques since leaving Konoha, but it would still be useful. Pulling it off the wall he left and headed to Orochimaru's room.

He stood before the door to Orochimaru's room and focused his chakra. With a swipe of the fan and a burst of chakra, wind blasted through the door and a good portion of the wall. Several chunks of wood had impaled Orochimaru as he lay on his bed.

Menma blinked as he surveyed the damage. '_That worked a bit too well. I'll have to finish this quickly before someone comes to investigate.'_

He stepped into the room to find the Orochimaru on the bed collapsing and a giant white snake slithering forward out of a shadowy corner. "Kukuku. Eager to get the ritual started?"

"Sorry. I told you I would only ever follow you to kill you. I make good on those words today."

The giant Orochimaru snake seemed to explode into thousands of smaller snakes all flying at him with mouths open.

Menma quickly brought his fan up to block the snakes, allowing only a few past. Those that made it past bit him before retreating back to the mass that was Orochimaru.

"You don't have much skill with your toy, do you?" The snake hissed out at him.

"Well, it was mainly to boost that first attack. It's not exactly an indoor weapon," Menma replied before tossing it aside. He pulled out a kunai for each hand and activated his seal. His skin turned to a deep redish brown, while the whisker marks on his cheeks became more pronounced. His canines grew and sharpened. His nails lengthened and became claws. Six long tails sprouted from the base of his spine.

"That's not my curse seal," Orochimaru frowned.

"No. It's not." Menma vanished in a blur, cutting through the numerous small snakes on his way to Orochimaru. Snake after snake was cut down but it never seemed enough. Menma suffered more and more bites. Eventually he leapt back away from Orochimaru with his Mangekyō blazing.

With a cry of "Amaterasu!" black fire erupted over the giant snake. Menma poured more and more chakra into it until the entire room was engulfed in black flames. He let the fires burn for a full minute before gradually extinguishing them.

When the fires were out he struggled to turn to the door and leave but found his movements slowing down until he could no longer move. "Poi...son?"

"Kukuku. Now that body is mine!" The giant snake swallowed him whole.

* * *

Menma found himself in a void standing on what appeared to be writhing flesh. "Ugh! This is worse than my sewer."

A mass of flesh rose up and parted revealing Orochimaru's face. "When this is over, your body will be mine."

"Amaterasu!" Nothing happened.

"Kukuku. This place is mine to control. In here, I am a god!" The fleshy floor began crawling up Menma's legs.

'_His mindscape maybe? Might as well try...' _Menma activated his seal but something felt off. It didn't stop at the six tails of power it should have. It kept going until he hit nine and felt Kurama take over. '_God I hope this is only his mindscape.'_

He could still experience what was going on, but no longer had control of his body. It had turned into a replica of Kurama. The beast flailed about, tearing the fleshy substance off of him before turning to Orochimaru.

"**This body is mine, snake,"** and with that, stooped down and chomped the Orochimaru flesh blob in half, swallowing it.

* * *

Menma suddenly found himself back in Orochimaru's destroyed chambers. He could sense five people had just entered the room he was in, but that wasn't his concern. He felt like something was writhing beneath his skin briefly before the feeling passed.

'_DAMN IT, KURAMA. What the hell were you thinking eating him?!'_

Turning his head slightly he could see the Sound Four as well as Karin standing there. They were all eyeing him warily. He could still feel the poison lingering in his system. Even with the other two there, they were only even in numbers. Karin wasn't much of a fighter and Tayuya still only had access to a level one seal. The other three of the Sound Four would kill them easily.

'_Ugh, I'm going to hate this.' _He slowly stood straight and looked down at his hands. "Kukuku. So this is what it feels like." He turned to face the others fully. "Karin, Tayuya, you two stay here. The rest of you, get back to work. We have much to do."

The other three of the Sound Four went to spread the word that 'Orochimaru' had taken over the boy and now had the Sharingan.

The two girls were waiting nervously. He brushed past them to head to his room. "Come with me."

As soon as they were back in his room securely Menma shuddered. "Karin, check my body to see what changed. Ugh, it felt like there were worms under my skin."

She used her sensor abilities before responding. "M-Menma?"

"Yes, now please, tell me what changed. I think I absorbed part of that slimy bastard."

The girls let out the breaths they were holding. Minutes later Karin had finished her scan.

Menma looked at her worried. "How bad is it? Am I a giant snake made out of little snakes now?"

Karin shook her head. "The only changes are the marks around your eyes from your lack of sleep changing to look more like Orochimaru's. They're still black though. The second is that your pupils have become snake-like, like his were. Not that you can tell with your black eye..."

Menma collapsed into a chair. "I'm going to have to beat the hell out of Kurama for eating him like that..."

The girls looked at each other questioningly.

Menma frowned. "Tayuya, go get Kin. Karin go get our fifth member, I think it's time they meet him."

The girls nodded and went to perform their tasks. "Oh, and Tayuya. Since I'm going to be pretending to be Orochimaru and your trip is shorter, can you find me duplicates of his outfit that will fit?"

Tayuya gave him a mock salute. "Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

He gave her a half-hearted glare as she left. '_At least it wasn't shithead?'_

* * *

**3 years after Menma joined Sound**

Menma had successfully tricked Sound into believing he was Orochimaru and had run the village for a year now. It wasn't all that hard. Orochimaru liked to have time to experiment so most of the mundane tasks were carried out by others.

Menma had gone digging through Orochimaru's information on Akatsuki and found it was quite helpful. He even found the hand that held his old ring and had 'liberated' it. He now sported it on his own hand, using the same finger the severed hand had.

When he had first taken over Sound was sure 'Orochimaru' would immediately plan another attack on Konoha to finish it once and for all. Menma had instead focused on Akatsuki. After explaining how his new 'body' was host to a bijū that would make him an even greater target than before it wasn't hard to get them to refocus their attention.

"Orochimaru-sama, you have a visitor," a random ninja informed him.

He followed the messenger to where the visitor was waiting.

"_Shimura Danzō,"_ Menma spat out upon seeing his guest. "What brings you here?"

* * *

**End Chapter 16**

**A/N:**

We're officially caught up to shippuden here. This arc might go on just a tad longer. As for the girl for Naruto/Menma's sort of pairing the numbers are...

Tayuya - 1  
Karin - 1  
Ino - 1  
Tayuya or Karin - 1

I'll probably tack on that last one to whichever of the two pulls ahead first.


	18. The Viper's Den 3

**Nalya: **il n'y a pas de quoi, de rien? I hope that was right. Random web translations aren't always the best. Sorry, I don't speak French.

**serialkeller: **I'll just leave it at - this chapter should answer your questions. At least partially.

**jeannette: **Thanks. He isn't actually physically similar to Orochimaru. Those were just phantom sensations.

**Foxstar: **Circumstances sort of forced him to, but he'll use it to his advantage. No, you can't vote again, heh. I've already got you marked for Tayuya.

**StlAjax: **He'll be dealt with a little bit later. This chapter starts setting things up, though.

**alex: **Got'cha. Another for Tayuya.

**somedayisours: **She's only got one right now. If you don't want her to win submit a name.

**GEDOMAZO: **Glad you're enjoying it. I'll mark down your vote for Karin.

**shadowmaster: **Glad you enjoy it. Hopefully it won't be too long before you're caught up.

* * *

**Chapter 17**

_(Hidden Sound Base)_

"_Shimura Danzō,"_ Menma spat out upon seeing his guest. "What brings you here?"

"I thought we might be able to work out a deal for when you attack Konoha again."

'_He would have sent a messenger if that were the case. Was he forced out of the village like Orochimaru was?' _Menma peered at him silently for a minute. "Kukuku. They caught you with dirty little secrets, just like they did me, didn't they? So tell me, what did you do?"

Danzō frowned. "You know what we did. You're the one that transplanted the Sharingan in my arm."

"They wouldn't chase you out just for that. Kakashi has a transplanted Sharingan and he's one of their best ninja." Menma looked at him curiously. "Unless you _stole_ what you have."

Danzō shifted ever so slightly.

"You did! Kukuku. I wonder, if I offer Konoha your head will they leave me alone for awhile?"

Danzō scowled. "Konoha would never form an alliance with you."

"I don't want an alliance. I just want them to leave me alone so I can deal with Akatsuki." Menma said as he stared at the ring on his hand. "I will deal with Konoha after."

Danzō stood silently for a minute. "I have 50 of my Root agents that escaped with me. If you leave Konoha intact when you attack it, we will join you and help you deal with Akatsuki."

Menma looked at him curiously. "If you were forced out why would you want it to remain intact?"

"Konoha needs a strong Hokage to raise her above the other villages."

"And you would be that Hokage?" Danzō nodded. "Very well. You have my word that I will not destroy Konoha. You and your men will report to me as long as you're here, however." Menma instructed the messenger to escort Danzō and his men to some rooms.

'_I won't destroy it because I never planned to attack it, fool.'_

He quickly left to track down Kin to give her instructions to spy on Danzō.

* * *

_(Mindscape)_

Menma had just left Kurama's cage. He had finally gotten around to asking him where the memories he had blocked were stored. He had learned that he also had some of Orochimaru's memories floating around from when Kurama bit him in half during the ritual.

Walking through the sewers he came to a part that was in far worse condition than the rest. The walls were decaying and crumbling revealing inky black beyond. Eventually he reached the location Kurama had told him about. It was a small side tunnel with walkways on both sides and a little gate, cutting off the water behind from the rest of his mind. Climbing up on the walkway revealed the 'water' behind the gate was anything but. It was a thick, almost sludge-like fluid. He knew it was black, he could see it sticking to walls and occasionally on the walkways on the side, but when he looked down at the fluid it was bright and shifting colors, almost like a rainbow.(1)

Approaching the edge carefully, he dipped his hand into the fluid. He immediately jerked backwards and vomited all over the walkway. It felt like hundreds of memories had just flashed through his brain. Memories of dark rooms with figures chained to the walls. People groaning and wailing as he cut into them, stabbed them, burned them. Memories that made him feel like he was being crushed and his eyes torn out. Feelings of being inferior to a friend despite having a name known around the Elemental Nations. Feelings of a girl-

He shook his head and wiped the fluid off on a relatively clean portion of the wall. He took a moment to calm down and looked back at the fluid. The rainbow-like colors giving the corridor a strange and otherworldly feel.

"So many bright colors, but the memories are all so dark." He walked back to the beginning of the hallway and turned back to the gate holding it all back. "Direct contact with that stuff is out so maybe..."

The gate changed. Rather than a gate, now it was a sort of valve with several tubes connected to it. The tubes each connected to vast tanks that lined the walls.

"That should at least separate them. I'll worry about how I'll look through them later."

Menma woke up in Orochimaru's quarters and groaned. The memories were nasty enough to make him physically puke all over himself as he slept.

* * *

_(Outside Konoha)_

Sasuke stood in front of a tombstone looking at the name on it. A name that had been on the stone for 16 years now even though the boy it belonged to had only died about a year ago.

Uzumaki Naruto.

The grave was located in a desolate area outside of Konoha, with only a single other grave next to it.

Uzumaki Kushina.

Jiraiya had told him of the graves. He told him this was the place they had believed both had died that night, all those years ago.

When he had asked why they were buried alone in the middle of nowhere and not next to the Yondaime he had been told that Minato and Kushina had married in secret and that they couldn't locate the marriage certificate. Even though Jiraiya and Hiruzen had been witnesses, without the certificate, it wasn't legal.

When he had asked why they weren't on the Memorial Stone he had been asked in turn "For what? Giving birth to a child? Being born?" When he had told them for being jinchūriki he had been told that Kushina's status was kept a secret. If the village were told she contained Kyūbi the night of the attack their names would be dishonored and reviled. The village would most certainly blame them for the attack.

In the end, he had let it drop. They were both gone now, and one of them was his fault. If he hadn't panicked and acted without thinking or talking to anyone Menma would never have ended up with Orochimaru.

Sasuke clenched his fists tightly. He wanted to go rushing off to kill the bastard. He shook his head after remembering Menma's last 'words' to him. "I'll be patient, just like you asked, Menma. Orochimaru failed to destroy Konoha the first time and nearly died for it. I'll make sure he dies the next time he tries."

He turned to head back to Konoha and briefly wondered if the Hokage had Itachi's missing-nin status revoked yet. It would be nice if he could return home soon. He then thought of the reason his brother had to flee Konoha in the first place.

"_Shimura Danzō," _he growled. He had heard how the man had fled to join Orochimaru. How convenient that all his enemies were gathering together and would attack Konoha sooner or later.

"Be patient indeed."

* * *

_(Hidden Sound Base)_

Menma was sitting in Orochimaru's chambers meditating and absorbing small important bits of memory from Tobi and Orochimaru. It was the middle of the night when he suddenly felt a presence behind him. He dove to the side and grabbed the closest weapon nearby, narrowly avoiding an attack.

A man wearing a black cloak with red clouds stepped out of the shadows. His black eyes gazed sternly at Menma.

"You must be... Itachi?" Menma asked, eyeing the Akatsuki cloak.

"Your speed has improved. The perks of an Uchiha body?"

Menma frowned. "What do you want?"

"I was relieved when I heard another Uchiha survived. I was happy when I heard he and Sasuke had become friends. They were going to rebuild a better Uchiha clan. You ruined that and soiled his body."

"What do you care about the Uchiha clan? You killed them all," Menma growled.

"Yes, I did," he replied. "But I didn't want to." Itachi ran at him with a katana poised to strike.

Menma blocked the attack and glanced down to see what he had grabbed when he dove out of the way. Seeing the blade nearly made him relax his grip in shock. '_Kusanagi?! I've been looking everywhere for this damn thing!' _His brain then registered he was blocking another weapon with the blade. '_But it's not cutting through his sword? What?'_ The Kusanagi in his hands shattered, allowing Itachi's sword to impale him through his chest. Itachi then forced him back and stuck him to the wall with the sword.

Itachi then stepped back and activated his Mangekyō.

"I'm not Orochimaru." Menma coughed out, blood seeping down his chin. He activated his Sharingan and showed Itachi the results of his fight with Orochimaru.

After staring at Menma for a moment Itachi nodded and the world around them shattered and fell away like glass. Menma found himself back where he was previously, after he had jumped out of the way of the first attack.

"Tch. Genjutsu."

"Why are you posing as Orochimaru?"

Menma straightened up and checked the weapon he was holding and sighed, just an ordinary kunai. "I was weakened after the fight and was surrounded by people loyal to Orochimaru. I would have been killed. It's not all bad though, I get an army to deal with Akatsuki this way. An army of mostly scum that are probably better off dead."

"You plan on attacking Akatsuki?" Menma nodded. "Then you may want to start with Sasori and Deidara. They're about to attack the Kazekage."

Menma frowned in thought. "I was going to declare war on Rain."

"It would serve no purpose. The important members are out searching for their targets. You would be better off hunting them down while they're in pairs."

Menma nodded. "One thing before you go. Why _did_ you kill the clan?"

"I was tricked. I thought I received orders from the Hokage to kill them, but it turns out it was an order by a man named Shimura Danzō."

Menma blinked. "So that's why he has all those Sharingan implants and was forced to flee Konoha."

"He is no longer in Konoha? Do you know where he is?"

Menma nodded. "I do. Do you want to kill him?"

Itachi shook his head. "Justice is Sasuke's right, not mine."

Menma shrugged. "Your choice. I need to get some planning done if I want to hunt down your organization."

The man in front of him simply nodded before bursting into crows.

Menma frowned. "Maybe I should see about absorbing their memories concerning genjutsu..."

* * *

_(Hokage's Office)_

Tsunade was staring out the window of her office lost in thought. She was thinking back to the night on top of the Hokage monument with a certain brat.

'_I don't think it was sacrifice, brat. I think it was protecting what you treasure.' _Her hand gripped the necklace around her neck.

A ninja burst into the office at that moment. "Hokage-sama! The Kazekage was kidnapped by Akatsuki! Suna is requesting help!"

'_I wonder if your teammates share your beliefs. At least this will distract them from Orochimaru for a bit.' _Tsunade frowned. "Bring me Team 7."

* * *

_(Hidden Sound Base)_

Menma was surrounded by his group he had plotted against Orochimaru with. Kimimaro, Karin, Tayuya, and Kin stood at attention around him. The five of them stood in front of a decent sized army of Sound ninja. Each one of them held a book.

Menma held up his book and spoke to them. "Each one of you should have one of these, an Akatsuki bingo book. You should each have noticed by now that their bounties are double what their home villages are offering. You bring me one of their bodies as proof they are dead and you get that bounty, plus a single favor from myself."

The army of ninja started whispering excitedly. He held up his hand showing the ring on his finger. "Each member of their organization wears a ring similar to this one. It, along with their body, will be used to identify them. Make sure you bring both to claim your bounty."

With a wave of his hand he shouted. "The Akatsuki hunt is now officially underway! Go! Kill them and bring me their heads!"

After the army had run off after their bounties Tayuya turned to him. "You don't think any of that trash will actually kill any of them, do you?"

Menma shook his head. "No, but you never know, someone could get a lucky shot in. It was more to harass them and tire them out for us."

He turned to the four people standing around him. "I know the other three are still alive, but you are now the new Sound Four." He looked at Karin. "Even if you're not all fighters, you're people I can trust."

The four of them straightened, obviously pleased.

Menma turned towards the exit. "Now, let's go. We have some vermin to kill out in the desert."

The hunt for Akatsuki had begun.

* * *

**End Chapter 17**

**A/N:**

(1) - Think oil.

I suppose you could say this is the start of a new arc even though it sort of overlaps with the Sound stuff. The Hunt for Akatsuki arc maybe?

As for the girls:

Tayuya - 2  
Karin - 2  
Ino -1

You're not restricted to those, remember that. Any Konoha girl(excluding Hinata) or Sound girl. A couple of people have suggested multiple women, but the ending I have in mind fits better with just one. I'll let people continue to throw in their suggestions for now. The point where it gets decided is still a ways off.


	19. The Hunt for Dawn

**serialkeller: **Marked you down for Anko.

**MissAzuka: **Could you be more specific in how it was horrible? If it was the time gap that bothered you remember that Sound is hidden. (Unlike traditional 'hidden villages' where everyone knows where they are.) If it's something else, please tell me. As I've said before, this is my first story. The only way to improve is for people to tell me what I'm doing wrong.

Also, added Isaribi for ya.

**AAG: **I shortened your name because I'm lazy. It probably won't be as interesting as you're hoping, but you'll find out this chapter.

**Foxstar: **I'll probably flip a coin or something. While it _is_ possible for multiple women I would have to alter the story and it probably wouldn't have the same impact.

**Felicity Dream: **Glad you're enjoying it. I'll leave you as a no-vote for now so you can pick later on if you'd like. As for Sasori... I've got bad news for you. -cough-

**Turtleboyz: **Thanks. I do still make mistakes but they're usually pretty small. Feel free to let me know if you catch any. I've been lazy on checking my work for awhile now.

* * *

**Chapter 19**

_(River Country)_

Menma and the Sound Four were leaping through the trees of River Country when Karin spoke up.

"I sense a lot of people to the south." The group stopped so she could focus better. "About ten people. None of them below chūnin level."

"Reinforcements from Konoha?" Kin asked.

Karin shook her head. "Most of them are fighting. Three of them are headed this way, although they're still quite a ways off."

"Lead us to them. If those three are coming to intercept us we might as well turn the tables on them," Menma commanded. Karin led the group towards the approaching trio.

Before long they saw what appeared to be a giant white bird flying in the sky. Atop they could see a man wearing the Akatsuki cloak. Moments later they could see two figures chasing after him from the ground.

"Akatsuki, Kakashi-sensei, and Sasuke," Menma palmed his face. "I thought he meant they were on their way to attack the Kazekage, not that they were _literally_ about to attack him."

As they watched the air around the Akatsuki members arm distorted before suddenly stopped and blowing it off. Moments later the air distorted again, catching the man's other arm. Immediately afterwards Sasuke flew in from the side with a Chidori, lancing through the bird the man was on.

Menma watched as the bird dropped and the man jumped away. "Find the other Akatsuki member. If Konoha is already fighting him, stay hidden and only engage if it looks like they'll lose."

The Sound Four nodded and vanished. While Sasuke and Kakashi were busy with the bird and the Akatsuki member, Menma quickly made a mud clone. "Go find that guy's missing arm. It should have his ring." The clone vanished without a sound.

He then pulled out a scroll and tore a piece off. He quickly drew a seal on the tore piece before turning and writing on the scroll. The sound of fighting reached his ears as he was writing his note. He glanced up briefly to find a curse seal stage two Sasuke smashing the Akatsuki member's face. A Chidori to his heart revealed a clone made out of clay.

Sasuke stood and calmed himself, the curse seal receding. Kakashi walked up next to him followed shortly by Sakura and some old woman Menma didn't recognize.

"Sasori?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura nodded with a small smile. "Yep, we got him."

'_Sakura and that old hag killed an Akatsuki member? She's gotten strong.'_

"More importantly, where is Gaara?" The old woman asked.

Sasuke shook his head before looking up in a tree where a Kakashi clone carried the dead Kage.

It was then, right as he rolled up the scroll and tucked it away with the seal paper, that Maito Gai appeared in front of Menma while his students appeared in front of the Akatsuki member that had been hiding in the bushes just a few feet away.

"Well done, Neji." Gai said with a smirk as he took a stance.

'_Well shit.' _Menma stood and analyzed him cautiously.

The Akatsuki member vanished in a blur, dodging projectiles as he appeared next to the remains of the bird that carried him earlier. He bit a chunk out of the bird and chewed the clay before turning to the Konoha ninja with a grin.

"You guys are lucky. I'll show you my ultimate work of art." He started to swell up like some kind of grotesque human balloon. "Art is a bang!"

"Run!" Neji shouted. The Konoha ninja fled back towards Team 7.

'_Ugh, bastard. I'll have to flee that way too.' _Menma thought as he followed after them. As they fled towards Team 7 he saw Kakashi turn to stare at the explosion. He risked a glance backwards and saw the explosion and the air around it distorting.

Thinking quickly he aimed for Sasuke who happened to be behind and slightly separated from the rest of the group. He grabbed him and drug him backwards, a kunai to his throat.

After the explosion vanished it took a couple seconds for people to realize their mistake and they spun around to find Menma holding Sasuke hostage.

"Orochimaru," Kakashi said in a lazy voice.

Menma didn't respond. He simply stared at Kakashi, or more specifically, his Mangekyō Sharingan. '_I thought the Mangekyō was unique to each user. How does he have mine?"_

The Konoha ninja were getting anxious when he Menma stared at Kakashi, unresponsive.

"Where did you get that eye, Kakashi-se-" Menma cut himself off abruptly, realizing he almost gave himself away.

"Why don't you tell us what you're doing here," Kakashi said in reply.

Before Menma could reply his mud clone reappeared. "Looking for these," the clone said, holding up the ring. Menma took the ring with his left hand and placed it in a pocket before pulling out the scrap of paper with the seal on it.

"Sakura, did you really kill the other Akatsuki member?" Menma asked.

"She sure did," Tayuya responded, reappearing a giant scroll on her back and the Sound Four following. "The whole place was smashed to hell with bits of puppets everywhere. We sealed what we could, and found the ring."

"I see. Sasuke, Sakura, you've gotten strong," Menma said, slapping the seal paper on Sasuke's curse mark. "So I'll leave you with a gift."

"One gift from you is more than enough!" Sasuke spat out. Menma flinched. '_Shit. I did sound like him there, didn't I? I need to be careful with those memories...'_

After applying the seal Menma placed his hand over it and poured Kurama's chakra into it, burning out Orochimaru's soul shard. Sasuke hissed and grabbed onto his neck at this.

Karin spoke up quietly enough that only the Sound Four, Menma, and Sasuke could hear her. "We should go, I can detect a large group approaching."

Menma discreetly slipped the scroll into Sasuke's pouch and whispered something in his ear before kicking him towards the Konoha ninja. As he and the Sound Four jumped backwards to leave he spoke up. "Follow us if you wish to play with Kurama."

The Konoha ninja that were just about to pursue paused worriedly. "Let them go. We're not in any shape to face Kyūbi right now. Besides, he's not our mission right now," Kakashi told them.

Sasuke stood in a daze. He was vaguely aware of a large group of Suna ninja showing up, as well as Sakura and Chiyo working to revive Gaara. When Chiyo had said she didn't have enough chakra he offered his without thinking.

Afterwards he stood apart from the group. Sakura noticing this approached him with a worried look on her face. "Sasuke? What's wrong? Did he do something to you?"

Sasuke turned to look at her. "My curse seal feels different."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Before... it felt like it was always trying to... devour me. It felt like there was a voice whispering to me. Now that voice is gone. The mark feels... separate? It's hard to explain."

Sasuke turned and stared off in the direction that the Sound ninja had fled. "I don't think that was Orochimaru."

"That was only Menma's body, remember? Orochimaru possessed him."

"Do you remember that scroll I told you about? The one Menma left behind in the compound that night?" Sakura nodded. "He whispered something to me just before he kicked me towards you guys."

He turned towards her and walked past her. As he passed her he whispered, "Be patient."

Sakura's eyes widened as she turned to look where the Sound ninja had fled. She had seen the scroll and had been told about the note. '_Could it be? Menma...'_

* * *

_(Fire Country Border)_

"When we get back, make sure to update the bingo books. Sasori and Deidara, I believe it was, are dead," Menma commanded.

"Why bother?" Tayuya asked.

"Because we want them to know that Akatsuki members _can _be killed. It will also redirect any that had chosen to go after them to other members instead of wasting time. And it will put pressure on them. They'll work harder to catch the remaining members if they hear that they're already dying off," Menma explained as they jumped through the trees.

Menma frowned as they continued. '_Why does Kakashi have the same eye that I do? What was that ability he used?' _He let out a sigh. He was going to have to delve into those memories again after all. Hopefully the guy that got sealed in him with Kurama wasn't as bad as Orochimaru.

"Ah! The Akatsuki member from before!" Karin called out.

"Kill him," Menma said.

They made a short detour where Kimimaro landed in front of the man and immediately impaled him in the heart with a bone. Simple and efficient.

"That leaves, what, seven assholes to go?" Tayuya asked.

Menma shook his head. "Seal his body and let's go. I want to get through Fire Country before Konoha finds out we were out here."

* * *

_(Hidden Location)_

"And what of Deidara?" A voice asked.

"He's dead. **They took his ring too,"** an unusual plant-man said.

"It seems Orochimaru is becoming more of a problem than we thought he would," the voice said, turning. "What did you learn, Itachi?"

"Orochimaru is dead," came the monotone reply.

"Zetsu just told us of his movements, Itachi. He is alive."

"You misunderstand. Orochimaru failed his possession attempt and is dead. The Kyūbi jinchūriki is posing as Orochimaru."

"The brat beat Orochimaru? Damn," a large blue-skinned man blurted out.

"It seems he is stronger than we gave him credit for. We will watch him for now. The rest of you, continue to hunt your targets."

The figures vanished one by one. Itachi and Kisame were sitting on top of some pillars.

"So, should we go cut that brat up?" Kisame asked.

"You heard Leader-sama. Observation."

"Ah, c'mon. His base is underground, he won't summon Kyūbi," Kisame whined.

Itachi stared at him blankly. "Fine. We can visit Sound."

"Alright!" Kisame jumped off without waiting for Itachi.

The stoic Uchiha just shook his head and followed after him.

* * *

_(Suna)_

Team 7 had returned to Suna to spend a few days before heading back to Konoha. It was that night when preparing for sleep that Sasuke discovered the scroll that had been slipped into his pouch. Cautiously opening it he found what appeared to be a letter.

_Sasuke,_

_Your curse seal has been altered. Orochimaru's soul shard has been burned out and replaced with Kurama's power. Don't mess with the seal I applied over it, it blocks his influence._

_The price for this power is, unfortunately, time. You're limited to stage one unless we meet again and I finish it for you._

_Itachi is a part of the group Akatsuki, however he doesn't seem very loyal to them. He was the one that informed us of the attack on the Kazekage. If I find anything else I'll try to inform you._

_You had better be keeping that headband safe._

_-M_

"He actually did it. He killed Orochimaru..." Sasuke breathed out. He put the scroll back in his pouch before falling into the bed.

'_I wonder how the others will react when they learn he's alive.'_

* * *

_(Konoha)_

It had been roughly 5 days since they rescued Gaara and returned to Konoha. Team Gai had already been dismissed after they reported to the Hokage.

Team 7 had remained behind on Sasuke's request. He had been strangely happy since rescuing Gaara but wouldn't tell them why.

He stepped forward and placed a scroll in front of the Hokage. As she read the scroll her eyes lit up. "Where did you get this?!"

"I found it in my pouch the night we rescued the Kazekage. I assume he slipped it in when he was holding me hostage," Sasuke replied.

The other two members of Team 7 looked at him curiously. Tsunade waved them forward and handed them the scroll to read.

After the two of them finished they felt a weight lifted from their shoulders.

"He's alive?" Kakashi whispered.

"Why didn't he come home?!" Sakura shouted.

Team 7 all fell silent after that. None of them could figure out why he hadn't returned after killing Orochimaru.

"Sacrifice." They looked at Tsunade, who had her hands clasped in front of her. "That brat."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked.

"He sacrificed himself to protect Sasuke from Orochimaru. He's sacrificing himself again to protect all of us from Akatsuki. That giant bomb they dropped on Suna. We don't have something that could protect us from an attack like that," Tsunade explained. "He's taking his jinchūriki status a bit too seriously."

"The power of human sacrifice..." Sakura whispered.

"What are we going to do?" Sasuke asked.

"Nothing." Tsunade held up a hand as they tried to argue. "You will do nothing. I'll have a lot more work to do because of this."

She stared at them silently as they stood there. After a minute she turned her gaze to Sasuke. "You still want him in your clan, right?"

"Of course," was his reply.

"This has given me an idea, if we do this right, it could pave the way for a better future for the Uchiha."

"How?" Sasuke asked.

Tsunade grinned. "Sacrifice. We reveal how Danzō was behind the massacre. Itachi sacrificed everything to follow orders for the village. Menma sacrificed everything to save what remained of the Uchiha."

"That could clear both their names. The village would see them as heroes!" Sakura added.

Tsunade nodded. "I still have some details to work out. That is all for now. You're dismissed."

Team 7 left the Hokage's office happy for the first time in years. Their friend was alive and would be home before they knew it.

* * *

**End Chapter 18**

**A/N:**

To clarify since I skipped portions. Most of this happened like it did in canon. Gaara had Shukaku extracted. Sakura and Chiyo stomp puppet ass. Chiyo dies to bring Gaara back. Itachi did **not** use the body clone technique thing and fight Konoha. Kisame and your favorite Akatsuki member of choice did, because those baby fights didn't really matter, but I didn't want Itachi interacting with them just yet.

Girls:

Karin - 2 (5)  
Tayuya - 2 (4)  
Ino - 1 (2)  
Anko - 1  
Isaribi - 1

The numbers are omitting the "x or y" votes. If I add a tally for each name of those votes it's the numbers in parentheses.


	20. The Hunt for Dawn 2

**Felicity Dream: **Hopefully this chapter is more interesting for you. Sorry about Sasori, heh. I also marked you down for Karin.

**serialkeller: **My most faithful reviewer. It makes me happy that you stick around and take time to respond, even if they're short.

**Foxstar: **Things should be a bit more interesting for awhile. I'll need to work on making things interesting even when nothing happens in the future.

**jeannette: **Thanks.

**Rahl: **Thanks, I'll do my best.

**Guest: **Mr. Anonymous Reviewer, if you get this far, thank you. I went back and read that part in the prologue and realized it wasn't done very well. I did some tweaking to it that hopefully makes it better and a bit more realistic.

* * *

**Chapter 19**

_(Hidden Sound Base)_

Menma was sitting in a room he had set up as an office listening to a random jōnin talk.

"There have been rumors spreading that you're not Orochimaru. That... that _boy_ was the one who won."

Menma narrowed his eyes. "Is that so? Who is spreading these rumors?"

There was a knock and the door opened before the man could respond. Menma turned to the jōnin as he saw Kin enter. "We'll finish our discussion later. Squash any rumors you hear regarding this."

The man saluted and ran out. Kin took his place. "Talking about the rumors that say you're not Orochimaru?" Menma nodded. "It's Danzō."

Kin placed a file on the desk in front of him that he took his time reading. "Planning a coup? How did you find all this? He's being kind of sloppy, don't you think?"

Kin shrugged. "In Konoha he had connections and safe houses and the like set up. Out here he has nothing, so he can't hide as well as he's used to."

"He's the reason I'm here, you know? He was a pain in the ass back in Konoha, and he's a pain in the ass out here." Menma sat back in his seat and folded his arms.

"There's more. We found a messenger bird flying around randomly in the country. When we had someone make themselves visible it landed and we retrieved a scroll," she paused. "A scroll from Konoha... for the Otokage."

Menma blinked. "We have an Otokage?"

"Yes, we do, _Orochimaru-sama. _You have the hat, don't you?"

Menma looked confused at first before a look of understanding crossed his face. He snuck a peek at a corner of the room that Kin caught.

When she looked in the corner she found the hat upside down and propped up by a little wooden base. The hat was filled with dirt and had a little tree growing in it.

She snorted a laugh. "You turned your Kage hat into a bonsai tree?"

Menma shrugged. "Hey, it's unmarked and doesn't have the veil bit. I had no idea what it was. How was I supposed to know it was an incomplete Kage hat? It doesn't matter anyways, none of the Great Nations will accept our little country."

Kin handed over the scroll from Konoha. Menma began to read the scroll and blinked. "She's crazy. This will never... well, it might work. What does she expect me to do with Sound, though?" Reading further he frowned. "Kin, set up a line of communication with Konoha. Make sure they can't track the birds to us or anything. She's off to a good start, but her plan only takes Konoha into account. What does she think is going to happen to Sound if she announces to Konoha I killed Orochimaru? When people find out it's going to implode. The last thing I need is these people killing each other off trying to get to me. I want them all pointed at Akatsuki right now."

Kin stood to do as she was told when Menma stopped her. He quickly wrote down a response and sent her away with it.

"I wonder how she'll respond to it."

* * *

Menma sat in his chambers that evening frowning. He looked down at his hands. His left little finger, left thumb, and right index fingers all sported Akatsuki rings. The group that was the source of his current annoyance.

After he had spent most of the time thinking over Sound and why he was still here instead of back in Konoha he came to a realization. Orochimaru was not strong enough to destroy Akatsuki. Or rather, him posing as Orochimaru. He either didn't have access to the Sannin's strongest attacks or didn't _want_ to use them.

He had a bit of knowledge on Orochimaru's taijutsu style but he never went through the requirements to mold his body to be able to use it. He flat out refused to use Edo Tensei. Even if there were people in Sound that deserved to die, he didn't want to bring back the dead. He also didn't have access to the snake contract so snake summons were out as well.

"How the hell did I convince people all this time that I was Orochimaru? Was it the creepy laugh? Or maybe they just didn't care since I stopped using people that failed as experiments?"

He mentally went over his skills. First was his fire and wind manipulation. Orochimaru was a wind type, and Uchiha having fire was common. He could safely use both of those, as Orochimaru loved jutsu and the elements fit. The curse seal, and seals in general, shouldn't cause any problems. After watching Kakashi in River Country he had delved into the Uchiha's memories and learned another technique or two. He could possibly write that off as 'Orochimaru' experimenting with the Sharingan, so those should be ok. Summoning Kurama... he wasn't sure. He never told anyone the details of how it worked so that one might cause problems, especially if he didn't use him to cause random destruction. He had continued training with his giant fan in secret after he killed Orochimaru. That one would certainly cause issues, Orochimaru only really used his Kusanagi, which he still couldn't find. He had long since completed the third step of the Rasengan, and had even started playing with adding in his elements, which would be a giant red flag. Everyone knew Orochimaru couldn't figure that one out, which angered him to no end.

Wind and fire manipulation, clones, the curse seal, and the Sharingan. "Will it be enough to beat Akatsuki?" There was a knock on his door. "Enter."

Kin entered with a stern look on her face. "Kisame Hoshigaki has been sighted wandering in our territory."

Menma sighed. "And you're informing me because our people have been throwing themselves at him and failing." Kin nodded. "How many?"

"Of them? As far as we can tell it's just Kisame right now. Itachi is no doubt nearby but he hasn't engaged yet. As for ours... most of what was left after you sent everyone out to hunt down Akatsuki. The old Sound Four just left to engage him."

"Tayuya included?" Kin nodded. "Find Karin and Kimimaro and meet me outside. We'll deal with him ourselves."

* * *

_(Countryside near the Hidden Sound Base)_

By the time they arrived at what appeared to be a giant inland lake with trees growing out of it, the water had turned a deep red.

The four landed in a tree and looked around. Below them Jirōbō lay in shallow water on top of what appeared to be a boulder. His stomach was torn out, blood and entrails leaking into the water. Off to their right, just below the water surface, they could see Kidōmaru fending off a dozen sharks made of water. Sakon and Ukon arrived to help him, but were too late. Kidōmaru was torn apart by the sharks, leaving Sakon and Ukon to fight them in his place. To the left, Tayuya and her three Doki were fighting off three Kisames, no doubt clones. Tayuya was injured and heavily bleeding.

"Karin, Kin, heal Tayuya and support her." The two immediately jumped off to assist. Menma turned to Kimimaro. "We'll assist Sakon and Ukon."

As they jumped down to the water to rush over to them another Kisame emerged from the water in front of them. "About time! I was wondering how many of Orochimaru's pets I would have to kill before you showed up."

Menma glared at him for wording it that way and activated his Sharingan. "It seems our opponent will be this one instead, Kimimaro."

Kimimaro pulled a bone sword from his shoulder and rushed Kisame.

Menma held back as the two engaged each other, swords flashing as they struck and parried. He looked around with a frown and started pulling out explosive tags. Sakon and Ukon were still alive and who knows how many other grunts were lurking around. Being unable to use Rasengan and having no sword of his own he would be at a severe disadvantage if he was forced into close combat.

"At least this will answer my question." Menma wrapped the tags around kunai and threw them at Kisame whenever Kimimaro fell back during their fight. The tags were fairly strong, but had a small range, so they wouldn't put him in danger.

Eventually Kimimaro managed to skewer Kisame through the shoulder before jumping clear. The kunai with the tag buried itself in his stomach and exploded. The Kisame collapsed into water.

"Substitution," Kimimaro said emotionlessly. "My sword struck him normally."

The two of them gazed around trying to find Kisame. Sakon and Ukon as well as all the sharks were missing. To the other side, they found 2 Kisame fighting against Tayuya, Kin, and Karin, with the third heading towards them.

Kimimaro engaged him again. Menma checked his seal stock and frowned. '_One left. Guess I move in with a kunai. This is going to suck.' _Kimimaro shot his fingers out and managed to catch Kisame in the head, revealing another water clone.

Just as he was about to move in Kisame flew up out of the water and landed a kick in Kimimaro's gut that sent him flying through a tree and skipping across the water surface. '_Shit.' _Menma watched him fly off as Kisame turned to him with a grin. This Kisame was obviously real as he had a bleeding shoulder. Menma blinked, he could see over his shoulder that he was lined up with the two clones that were attacking the other group. Even better they were far enough away from the girls that an attack wouldn't hurt them.

'_I've always been curious to know if this would work.' _He activated his Mangekyō and muttered. "Amaterasu." He then flashed through hand signs. "Fūton: Daitoppa!"

A massive firestorm of black flames blew across the artificial lake. The water flash boiled and trees burst into flames. Kisame had been caught off guard by that. He knew what Amaterasu was but had never seen it combined with another technique like that. He substituted with one of his water clones attacking the girls. Black flames licked at his arm and leg as he dove out of the way. The water clones didn't stand a chance and were immediately destroyed.

Seeing the devastation his attack was causing Menma forcibly dispelled the flames. He staggered a bit after that, the sudden combined chakra usage making him light-headed. As he wavered a burned and very angry Kisame jumped out at him bringing his sword down, intent on cutting him in two.

As he was about to land the attack a whip made out of bone jerked the blade to the side, causing it to bury in the ground. Immediately afterwards Kimimaro appeared in his stage two seal with a giant bone spear over his arm and skewered Kisame through the heart.

The remaining water from Kisame's techniques vanished as the man collapsed to the ground dead. Menma looked over at Kimimaro as his bones and curse seal receded. "Thanks."

"You should be careful with attacks that leave you open like that," Kimimaro replied.

Menma waved it off. "I just didn't want all of Sound burning to ash." He reached down and pulled Kisame's ring off his hand before placing it on his own left ring finger. "That makes four."

Karin and Kin staggered up supporting Tayuya. "She alright?" Menma asked. Karin nodded. "She's just suffering from chakra exhaustion."

Before anyone could say anything else Itachi walked out from behind a tree. The others were immediately on guard, but Menma held up a hand. "You know, the Hokage is trying to clear your name."

"Really?" Itachi raised a brow.

"Yeah, you should probably keep an eye on the place for awhile. The way she's setting it up I think it'll work."

"He's not here to attack us?" Karin asked.

"I'm here to congratulate you. Kisame was one of the tougher members of Akatsuki," Itachi replied.

Menma waved him off. "Sure, just remember to keep an eye on Konoha."

Itachi bowed and dispersed into numerous crows.

Menma shook his head and turned to Kimimaro. "He's your kill. Make sure to seal him up."

With that, the body was sealed and the group trudged back to their base to heal.

* * *

_(Hidden Sound Base)_

It had been five days since Kisame attacked. Menma had been sending and receiving messages from Konoha just about daily since the first had arrived.

Tsunade stuck to her plan. She was convinced it would work, even if it caused problems for Sound. Menma had decided to go along with it and deal with the fallout later. The majority of Sound ninja had been absent when Kisame attacked, so he couldn't do much about them at the moment anyways. His last message had told her of his acceptance on the grounds that she send someone to help him with a mission.

He had just been told a messenger had arrived from Konoha. Not a messenger bird, but an actual ninja.

He walked into the room where the messenger was waiting. The black-haired ninja gave him a smirk that he returned. "I think you'll like this mission. Let's go set up for it."

* * *

_(Countryside near the Hidden Sound Base)_

Late that night in a clearing in the woods Menma stood waiting, his back to the center.

Minutes later the man he was waiting for hobbled into the center of the clearing.

Menma remained silent as he stared at the moon. After several minutes he spoke. "Have you ever heard the proverb about catching two rabbits, Danzō?"

"If you try to catch two rabbits at once, then you will catch neither," the man replied. Yes, he knew the proverb. He learned about it first hand back in Konoha.

Menma turned to face him, Sharingan blazing. "You're half right," came a voice from behind Danzō. The old man whipped around to face the mystery voice.

A man with black hair and Sharingan eyes appeared from the shadows. "If you try to catch two rabbits at once, then the two rabbits will surround you and beat you to death."

"Uchiha Sasuke," Danzō growled out.

* * *

**End Chapter 19**

**A/N:**

Gave Kin a little bit more air time this chapter. Her position in Sound has sort of become head of intelligence. She knows what's going on in and outside of Sound.

Karin is, of course, in charge of all things medical and R&D.

Tayuya, I'll be honest, I haven't really thought about her too much so far. Sorry. She's mainly acting as a bodyguard along with Kimimaro right now. She's the loudmouth one that will shout while Kimimaro is the aloof professional.

As for voting:

Karin - 3 (6)  
Tayuya - 2 (4)  
Ino - 1 (2)  
Anko - 1  
Isaribi - 1

The numbers are omitting the "x or y" votes. If I add a tally for each name of those votes it's the numbers in parentheses.


	21. Two Rabbits

**somedayisours:** I think everyone does. For some reason now I'm thinking of the bunny in Monty Python...

**Felicity Dream: **I threw in the hat tree for the hell of it, I'm glad at least one person liked it. As for votes, I do have a deadline in mind, but I can't really say much other than 'a few chapters from now' without giving anything away. I've got major plot points and such mapped out but for the most part I'm just writing this stuff as I go along, so I won't know exactly how many chapters it will be until I cut it off.

**Namikaze541: **The only Konoha girl I've blocked is Hinata, simply because I can't stand her. If you want Sakura, sure, but you'll be the first vote. Ino has one or two, but it's looking like Karin or Tayuya will win. There's still time until I cut it off though, so who knows. (I haven't added a vote for you yet so you can decide who you want.)

**Ramen Junky: **I can't take credit for the altered rabbit proverb. I got it from a game. (Of course in the game it applied to harem related stuff, but it fit, so...)

* * *

**Chapter 20**

A man with black hair and Sharingan eyes appeared from the shadows. "If you try to catch two rabbits at once, then the two rabbits will surround you and beat you to death."

"Uchiha Sasuke," Danzō growled out.

"I believe this is the first time we've met. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, but it would be a lie."

Danzō turned and backed away to keep both boys in his sight. He turned his gaze to Menma. "So the rumors I was spreading to destabilize your power were, in fact, true. Ironic."

The two boys walked to each other while keeping an eye on Danzō. When they reached the center of the clearing Danzō had reached the edge.

"It was only a matter of time until people found out anyways. I'm honestly surprised it lasted as long as it did," Menma said with a shrug. "Even with this though, I still have some time left in Sound. After taking care of you I'll make sure to squeeze every last bit out of it before I have to leave."

"You think you've won?" Danzō asked. "Root!"

Sasuke and Menma watched on impassively as Danzō's agents appeared in front of him. Some jumped out of the trees while others walked out on foot.

"Naughty Danzō," Menma said. "This is more than fifty, and even after I went to the trouble of sending your men on suicide missions to thin your numbers." In truth, he had nearly double that number, even with how many Menma had managed to kill off.

Danzō backed away from the clearing, pulling his 'injured' arm out of his robe as he did so.

"He's planning something," Sasuke said, as he watched the man run off.

"Yeah, but I need to deal with his minions anyways," Menma turned to Sasuke with a smirk. "Besides, it'll make the fight more fun. Well, for Kurama."

"You're going to summon him? You told me Danzō has Sharingan implants," Sasuke replied.

"Yeah, he does," Menma said, pulling up his sleeves. He performed the hand signs, bit his thumb, and smeared it across the tattoo. "But mine is stronger."

Kurama appeared with a roar and began to systematically destroy the Root ninja.

Sasuke and Menma backed off and watched as Kurama went on a rampage. Stepping on some ninja, tearing others apart with tooth and claw. They caught a glimpse of Danzō off to the side of the battle removing what looked like giant metal bracers from his arm.

The two looked at each other and Sasuke drew a sword. '_Damn it, that's it, after this I'm never going anywhere without a weapon.' _Menma shook his head, to hell with Sound, he was tired of crippling himself to keep up his charade. Menma pulled out a kunai and the two jumped into the fringes of the fight, killing off any Root that didn't engage Kurama.

Menma kept an eye on Danzō as they were destroying the Root ninja. The man was staring up at Kurama with an odd look. '_Determination? Desire? Why is he so focused on... ah! So that's what he's planning.'_

By the time the three of them had killed off the last of the Root ninja Danzō had already finished removing his bracers. He leapt up onto Kurama's nose and stared him in the eye.

They remained like that for a few moments before Kurama and Danzō turned to face Sasuke and Menma.

"You have lost. I control Kyūbi," Danzō said, staring down at them.

"I thought you said yours was stronger!" Sasuke hissed out, not taking his eyes off the two.

"Mhmm," Menma nodded, not worried in the slightest. "Go ahead, Kurama, I'm sure he's got a trick ready anyways."

Danzō suddenly found himself flying in the air with just enough time for a single jutsu before he was torn in half by Kurama's razor-sharp teeth.

One.

The two halves vanished shortly after the attack only for Danzō to be standing on the ground nearby. Kurama swiftly stomped on him. The body underfoot vanished.

Two.

Danzō appeared in another spot and was immediately hit with a tail, crushing him and throwing him through several trees.

Three.

Danzō appeared near the trees this time and tried to flee. Kurama gathered chakra in front of his mouth before launching it at Danzō, vaporizing him.

Four.

Danzō appeared near the two boys this time, where they were on guard. Kurama couldn't attack recklessly with them being so close.

"Truly a fearsome beast," Danzō said glancing down at his arm. '_Especially to destroy four eyes in so short a time. I'll have to be careful.' _Knowing his odds would be better against the boys he quickly swiped some blood and formed a hand sign. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

A giant creature that looked somewhat like an elephant with tiger legs appeared from the smoke. "That's all yours, Kurama. Have fun with your new chew toy."

With a snort, Kurama tackled the beast. The three ninja jumped away through the forest to get clear of the giant creatures.

As they jumped through the trees Sasuke threw some shuriken at Danzō, forcing him to jump to the side to dodge them. Menma used the fact that he was midair and couldn't dodge to his advantage and used a Rasengan to drill through his spine, breaking it.

Five.

Danzō appeared on a branch in front of them, sucking in a huge breath. The boys jumped to opposite sides, splitting up as bullets of air tore the forest apart. Trees and rocks shattered as the air hit them.

When Danzō stopped the boys dove behind trees and out of his line of sight. Sasuke appeared on his left, charging him with a hand glowing and his sword ready to strike. Three Menmas rushed from his right.

Danzō pulled out a kunai to parry Sasuke's sword. He used his free hand to redirect his Chidori into one of the Menma's that were attacking from behind. Sasuke looked surprised for a moment before the Menma dissolved into mud. Using the distraction, Danzō kicked Sasuke away and turned to face the other tw- one Menma? In his own moment of confusion the single Menma ducked and landed a bone crushing kick upwards to his jaw. Danzō lifted into the air only to suffer another massive kick straight towards Sasuke.

Sasuke had flipped and landed on the tree with his feet. When he saw Danzō flying towards him he readied his sword and cut him in two as he flew into him.

Six.

Danzō appeared behind the Menma that had kicked him in the air and cut his head off. He dissolved into mud. The remaining Menma popped up and backhanded Danzō at Sasuke once again. This time Sasuke used a Chidori to skewer his heart.

Seven.

He reappeared on a branch. "Amaterasu!"

Eight.

He reappeared and quickly poured wind chakra over a kunai. He blocked an attack from Sasuke's sword just in time to avoid a decapitation. Menma attacked from behind, but he jumped to the side and sucked in another breath.

The two boys jumped apart to dodge what they expected to be more air bullets. Instead, Danzō blew out a stream of air to fly around and deliver a brutal slash with his kunai across Menma's chest.

Menma staggered back and flopped against a tree. He placed his hand back against it to push himself off but Danzō lunged and stabbed him through the heart with his wind kunai.

Menma had a look of shock on his face... then melted into mud. '_All three were clones?!' _An exploding tag on the tree where the clone had placed its hand went off.

Nine.

Danzō appeared in a small clearing this time. Menma walked out of the shadows of the trees and into the moonlight. Danzō kept on alert, waiting for Sasuke to reveal himself. His eyes darted from shadow to shadow, trying to find Sasuke in the trees.

Menma grinned and pointed up as Danzō heard a sharp whistle above him. He jerked his head up to briefly see a shadow in front of the moon swoop down out of the sky at him. His head rolled off shortly after.

Ten.

Danzō appeared on the ground in the woods and was just about to rush off when Menma appeared in front of him and stomped on his foot, crushing it. He followed it up with a headbutt that sent Danzō reeling. With two quick flashes of a kunai, the fight was over.

Danzō clutched his covered right eye with pain as his Sharingan had been cut out and let out a grunt of pain as his right arm dropped to the forest floor.

Sasuke landed behind Danzō, his level two seal fading away. He delivered a blow to the back of Danzō's head with his sword hilt, knocking him unconscious.

"I really wish we could beat him to death, but you're probably right. Her plan will work better if she tries and publicly executes him for treason," Sasuke said with a frown.

Menma shrugged and dismissed Kurama. With Danzō out cold his summon wouldn't stick around.

Sasuke tied Danzō up and stood, slinging the man over his shoulder. He rummaged around in a pouch for a moment before pulling out Menma's old headband and holding it out to him. "Let's go home."

Menma stared blankly at the headband without reaching out for it. Sasuke frowned at his hesitation. "Menma..."

"I can't. Not yet," he replied. He looked Sasuke in the eye. "Soon though. I still have business to take care of in Sound. I need to gather up people that are loyal to me and willing to move to Konoha. I also need to do something about those that won't. With Danzō out of the way and Tsunade making him go through a trial it will buy me a little bit more time. I can pose as Orochimaru for a little bit longer and get more of the... unsavory types killed off. I'll triple the Akatsuki bounties. The more of them that get killed off trying to kill Akatsuki the better off we'll all be when they finally realize I really wasn't Orochimaru all along."

"You... will come back, right?"

Menma grinned. "I also need to hunt down someone's older brother, you know. Tell him how his name will be cleared and he'll be welcomed back in Konoha as the hero he is."

Sasuke nodded at him. "Things will finally be set right."

Menma grinned. "All that will be left for your dreams of the future will be restoring the clan. Time to get married and start popping out babies, huh? Maybe some pink-haired Uchiha?"

"Wha- I- you-" Sasuke stuttered as Menma laughed at him.

Menma waved him off. "Whoever you decide on, make sure she's not just after the name, hmm?" He looked at Danzō slung over Sasuke's shoulder. "You'll want to get him back as quickly as possible. The sooner he's in chains in Konoha the less you have to worry about. Who knows if any of his Root puppets are still alive and hiding somewhere."

"Right," Sasuke said. "I'll see you soon, brother." He jumped off into the night headed for Konoha.

Menma looked up at the moon and stretched. "That went surprisingly well, despite how hard he was to take down."

He turned and headed back for Sound. "Now to deal with Sound before everything falls apart..."

* * *

_(Hidden Location)_

Several figures were standing in a cave, all but one of them ethereal.

"Kisame is dead," the only person actually in the cave said.

"How?"

"He attacked Sound, and was defeated by the Kyūbi jinchūriki," Itachi replied.

The ethereal image that was obviously their leader frowned. "Did he get the ring?" Itachi nodded. "Three dead with four of our rings now in his possession." He turned to a strange plant-man. "Is it true that he's sent out his ninja to hunt us down?"

"Yes. **We have a copy of their bingo book**," the man replied.

"The bounties are quite substantial," Itachi added.

"He is becoming troublesome. When we finish with Kakuzu's and Hidan's jinchūriki I'll have to deal with him," the man said. "They should be returning with their targets soon. Be ready for the ritual."

Itachi watched as the other figures vanished. The last one wore a hooded robe rather than the usual robes with high collars that the others wore. Kakuzu and Hidan were out collecting their targets and he had clearly seen Pein, Konan, and Zetsu. '_A new member?'_

The cloak concealed all of the person's features but their height. They were only slightly shorter than he was, but that didn't seem to impact their presence at all. The cloaked figure turned to look at him before fading away.

'_That person gives me a very bad feeling.'_

He turned and quickly left the cave he was in. He briefly thought of heading to Konoha to see what was going on but changed his mind and headed for Kumo instead. Konoha wouldn't go anywhere and if they were going to pardon him the news would spread like wildfire.

* * *

**End Chapter 20**

**A/N:**

No rabbits beating people to death here. Danzō's too slimy to get a death during battle. Instead, he'll be executed like a loser. I'll likely have it happen off camera and just have people make passing remarks about it, so don't get your hopes up or anything.

A review mentioned something about setting a cutoff for voting. Rest assured, there will be a cutoff. I'm just not going to tell any specifics about it ahead of time. I don't want to ruin the story. I can say it'll happen in probably a couple chapters or so though, so if you haven't yet, tell me who you want. Also, anonymous voters, sorry, but I can't count yours because I have no way of knowing if you're individuals or one person making multiple votes.

Votes so far:

Karin - 3 (6)  
Tayuya - 2 (4)  
Ino - 1 (2)  
Anko - 1  
Isaribi - 1

The numbers are omitting the "x or y" votes. If I add a tally for each name of those votes it's the numbers in parentheses.

Oh yeah, and death 8 was a salute to all those who've played an FPS and died immediately upon respawning. Don't you love that?


	22. The Hunt for Dawn 3

**Felicity Dream: **The fact that you're taking time out of your day to respond is more than enough. Thanks for reviewing.

**Erydanes: **I didn't want to give anything away with the chapter title, heh. Kamui? Not sure where that came from. If you're talking about the mystery Akatsuki member they were an astral projection like the others. I also added your vote for Karin.

**serialkeller: **It's not Kabuto. He's dead and gone. I know someone mentioned Edo Tensei in a review awhile back but I decided against it. Kabuto is the annoying prick in canon, so we'll leave him there. Edo Tensei in general is just all kinds of bullshit, imo.

* * *

**Chapter 21**

_(Konoha)_

The village was gathering. Men, women, children, everyone that was within the city was gathering in one spot. Rumors had flown around as to the purpose of this meeting.

Two days ago Uchiha Sasuke had returned with Shimura Danzō restrained and thrown over a shoulder. There had been rumors of what the man had done. Murder. Treason. There had been whispers of a trial being held. There was a dull rumble in the crowd as they speculated while waiting.

Eventually Tsunade appeared and waited for the crowd to quiet down. "One hour ago one of Konoha's greatest traitors was found guilty after a trial. _Shimura Danzō _was executed for crimes against Konoha and her people not ten minutes ago. It is time you all know the truth of what happened."

Tsunade paused and looked out across the people assembled. "Shimura Danzō desired to be Hokage. His desire was so great that he orchestrated some of the greatest tragedies and crimes our village has seen in recent years."

The ground murmured a bit at this. "While it has been kept a secret for many years Konoha has, in fact, had three jinchūriki. The first, was Uzumaki Mito, wife of Hashirama Senju. The second, was Uzumaki Kushina, wife of Namikazi Minato. The third, you all know as Menma."

This threw the crowd for a loop. They've had two previous containers and never had problems? "Shimura Danzō was the one who is responsible for the Kyūbi attack on Konoha. Not only that, but he was the one that spread rumors of the beast being controlled by the Sharingan. I'm sure you're all curious as to why. Danzō was planning a coup and he needed an army. What better way than to trick the village into alienating and despising one of their largest clans? He waited years for the bitterness and resentment to build in the Uchiha clan and approached them with plans to overthrow the Hokage." Tsunade paused. "The Uchiha refused."

"This led him to carry out the Uchiha Massacre." Tsunade waited as the crowd roared in anger. After they had settled down she continued. "Uchiha Itachi did indeed kill his clan. However, he believed he was acting under the Hokage's orders to prevent a coup. Danzō had used his own plans and altered them before presenting them to the Hokage. When he tried to pursue a diplomatic means to resolve the issue, Danzō forged orders for Itachi to kill his clan. The Uchiha were destroyed for denying him, and their greatest prodigy took the fall. Itachi sacrificed everything for what he thought was Konoha's will. He sacrificed his family and his own life for Danzō's ambitions."

"Skip forward several years and we reach the point where rumors were spreading about Menma being adopted into the Uchiha clan and having control over Kyūbi. You all remember how there were rumors of them attempting to get revenge for their clan. Those were also Danzō's doing. Do you all remember what you demanded?" Most of the assembled people looked shocked and horrified. "That's right. You demanded that we give both Sasuke and Menma to Danzō. He would have gotten the Sharingan _and _Kyūbi."

Tsunade let that sink in for a bit. "Jiraiya and I had found a way to keep the greater of two dangers out of Danzō's hands, but that left Sasuke to suffer. What many of you don't know is that Sasuke's fear drove him to seek Orochimaru. Orochimaru didn't get his hands on him because the boy he was trying to adopt into his clan, his brother, took his place. Menma followed after Sasuke and knocked him out to take his place in Orochimaru's camp. Menma... no... Uchiha Menma sacrificed his new family and his life in Konoha to protect his brother."

She could heard the crowd talking. People saying how sad it was that he saved his brother only to lose his life to Orochimaru. "You're all thinking about what you've heard happened in Sound. I will tell you now that it's a lie. Orochimaru did not win. Menma killed him and has been running Sound ever since." Some of them tried to deny it but were silenced by her next question. "If Orochimaru won, why did he not attack Konoha upon gaining the Sharingan and Kyūbi?"

She waited as they thought over it. "There is a group of people hunting down jinchūriki, by the name of Akatsuki. Menma knew of this group because Orochimaru had been a member previously. Menma had the chance to return to Konoha after killing Orochimaru, but he knew that would put all of you in danger. Once again he sacrificed himself for others."

Tsunade paused. "How much more do the Uchiha have to sacrifice? How much more until we give back?! I say they've already done enough. As of this moment, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Menma are no longer missing-nin. They are to be welcomed into Konoha as the heroes they are! It's time to bring our two missing Uchiha home!" The crowd roared in approval and began to disperse.

Shizune, who had been standing near Tsunade the entire time, leaned in as Tsunade grinned. "That wasn't entirely true, was it?"

"No, but it doesn't matter. The only parts that were really changed only put more blame on Danzō." Tsunade turned to return to her office. "Time to send the brat another letter."

* * *

The rookies from the academy had hunted down Sasuke and dragged him to a training ground to get some answers.

"How much of that was true?!" Ino demanded.

"Enough to get the Hokage the result she wanted," Shikamaru answered. When Ino glared at him he muttered something about troublesome women and flopped on his back.

"Most of it was. As far as I know," Sasuke said.

"What about that Danzō guy? Did you really drag him back to the village tied up?" Ino asked.

"Yeah. Why do you think I went to Sound?"

"So, it's really true? Menma really is alive?" Sakura cut in.

Sasuke nodded and smiled. "He said he has some things to take care of first, but he'll be coming back."

"I'm gonna kick his ass once he gets back! That'll teach him for making us worry!" Kiba shouted. Akamaru just gave him the dog equivalent look of "You're crazy."

"Kiba, he defeated Orochimaru by himself," Hinata said.

"She's right, you wouldn't stand a chance," Sasuke said with a smirk.

"Raaaagh! Damn it, let's go train Akamaru!"

The two quickly ran off. Hinata gave the group an awkward smile and a wave before following after Kiba to make sure he didn't strain himself.

The others slowly left after that until only Sakura and Sasuke were left.

"I've got a shift at the hospital soon, so I'll see you later, Sasuke." Sakura walked off with a wave.

Sasuke moved to a private training ground in the Uchiha section of town. He had to be ready. After all, what better way was there to welcome his brothers home than to beat the hell out of them?

* * *

_(Hidden Sound Base)_

Menma wasn't sure if it was one last surprise left by Danzō or if word from Konoha had gotten around faster than he had expected. Sound ninja were crawling out of the woodwork after his fight with Danzō, all of them determined to kill him and take Sound for themselves.

He was just glad none of them were very smart. They all rushed straight back to attack the moment they heard, which meant they all rushed back in waves rather than one cohesive army.

He still had his bodyguards, and a portion of the Sound ninja remained loyal, so it wasn't all bad.

"We have a couple of hours before the next group arrives," Karin panted out.

Menma nodded. "Alright, get some rest, I'll get back to destroying files." The reason they hadn't just abandoned Sound was because of Orochimaru's research. Menma had decided it was far too dangerous to leave in the hands of some of the worst people alive, so they were destroying everything before they left.

He had dispatched the rest of the Sound Four to other hideouts of Orochimaru's to destroy the research there and release and leftover prisoners and test subjects.

He paused in his work to examine his clothes. He was still wearing Orochimaru's outfit but the thing was riddled with holes and slashes. It was hard fighting off an army by himself. He suffered countless small injuries each time a new wave arrived.

"Maybe I should wear some armor so I take fewer injuries and lose less blood..." He briefly played with the idea of searching the base for some but decided the odds of finding any were fairly low. Instead he went back to his chambers and ditched the Orochimaru outfit for plain black shinobi clothing.

As he looked at himself in a mirror he again wondered how he had managed to convince them he was Orochimaru for so long. Orochimaru loved his hair, long and straight. His was long too, waist-length at that, but it was shaggy. His shoulder length bangs framed his face while covering his left eye, leaving only his onyx eye exposed. He shook his head and went back to work.

How many days had it been now? Three? Four? They had managed to burn roughly a quarter of the stuff they needed to. The other hideouts were smaller and would have less to burn so the others should finish first. He just hoped they were left alone to do their work.

* * *

_(Near the border of Lightning Country)_

Itachi wasn't anywhere near as close to Kumo as he wanted to be by the time he received word that the Nibi jinchūriki was ready for the ritual. With a frown, he found a secure place and sat, forming a hand sign.

Itachi looked around at the other members and noticed two missing. "Where is Leader-sama?"

"Sealing the Sanbi. **He will be finished soon.**"

Itachi blinked. '_The Sanbi? Already? But that means...'_ He turned to Zetsu. "We have only the eight and nine tails remaining?"

"After we seal the Nibi, yes," their Leader said as he appeared. He turned to Kakuzu. "The sooner you capture the Hachibi the sooner you can spend all your time bounty hunting."

Kakuzu nodded as Pein turned back to the prone Nibi jinchūriki. "Let us begin." His separate paths filled in for any missing members.

Itachi followed along stoically although his mind was racing. '_I was too slow to help her, and I'm still several days away from Kumo...' _He snuck a glance at the immortals that had captured the girl. '_They did better than expected. I can't let them get the Hachibi as well, but how do I beat them to Kumo?"_

It was roughly a day later when he allowed his projection to flicker. With a simple "Hunter-nin." he allowed it to drop altogether and raced towards Kumo.

Pein waited a few moments after Itachi faded away before another path took Itachi's place. "Kakuzu, Hidan, go collect the Hachibi. I would rather have him in our possession and delay this sealing than lose him."

The two left and shortly after the last path appeared, bringing them to nine bodies sealing the Nibi.

* * *

_(Road outside of Kumo)_

Itachi was still several hours away from Kumo when he had stopped for a moment to catch his breath. He had been rushing for Kumo for days straight trying to get there in time to warn them.

He knew it was a huge risk. Kumo would love to get their hands on his Sharingan and Konoha wouldn't do much to get him free from Kumo if they hadn't cleared his missing-nin status like Menma said they would. Still, he had to try. He had even abandoned his Akatsuki cloak to give him a better chance at gaining entry.

If Kakuzu and Hidan had been present for the whole sealing it gave him a two day head start.

When he arrived at Kumo's gates hours later the city was in an uproar. Ninja were running around everywhere.

Itachi approached one of the gate guards and tried to calm his breathing before speaking. "What's... happening?"

"Yeah, right, like we'd tell an outsider-" The other guard let out a cry of surprise interrupting him.

"You! You're the Konoha spy who infiltrated Akatsuki! Tell us where Bee-sama is!"

The guard he had originally talked too gave him a closer look before gasping. He then grabbed his arm and shoved him in front of him. "We're taking you to the Raikage."

"They... got the Hachibi? How? I was supposed to be ahead of them." Itachi's breathing was slowly coming under control.

The guard simply shook his head and continued to escort him to the Raikage. Eventually Itachi found himself in an office before the man. "Where is he?!" He shouted, smashing the desk.

"If you get me a map I can point out the locations of nearby hideouts where they may have taken him," Itachi responded stoically. It only took a minute for an assistant to bring in a map. Itachi then proceeded to mark the nearest locations on the map.

A scrawny looking ninja burst into the office with a report before ducking back out quickly.

"That one," the Raikage jammed a finger at the map. "The report says they found a trail heading in that direction."

Itachi explained what they should expect and where exactly to find the hideout. After the Raikage had finished giving orders out he turned to Itachi. "You're lucky you're being cooperative and that Konoha wants you back."

Itachi blinked. "They want me back?"

"Yeah, apparently the whole village thinks you and that other Uchiha brat are heroes."

"Sasuke?" He asked.

"No, the ramen brat."

"Menma..." Itachi breathed out. '_So he was telling the truth.'_

The same scrawny ninja from before burst in again. "Raikage-sama! Jiraiya is here to deliver a warning about Akatsuki!"

The Raikage threw what remained of his desk through the wall narrowly avoiding Jiraiya who had been standing on the other side. "You're too damn late! We're going to go crush them right now!" He turned to the scrawny ninja. "Gather the forces, we're going to go crush Akatsuki and rescue Bee!"

"Itachi?" Jiraiya asked, surprised.

Itachi turned and bowed his head slightly to the man. "Jiraiya. I arrived too late to warn them, I'm sorry."

He waved it off. "It happens. Man, Tsunade is going to be happy we know where you are. You're a hero now, you know?"

Itachi glanced at the Raikage who looked ready to smash something else while waiting for his ninja to assemble. "So I've heard. Perhaps we should continue our conversation somewhere else?"

As the two exited the building Jiraiya turned to Itachi. "Listen, I need to return to Konoha. If they've already captured the Hachibi it means they're getting closer to Nar- Menma."

"He's the last," Itachi said. "If they have the Hachibi they have all but the Kyūbi."

Jiraiya frowned. "I need to warn the brat too then..."

"You warn Konoha. I'll warn Menma. I know where Orochimaru's base is," Itachi replied.

Jiraiya nodded. "Alright. Just make sure you two return home to Konoha safely." With a wave, the two split up and headed for their destinations.

* * *

**End Chapter 21**

**A/N:**

Not a very interesting chapter. I watched the fight between Sasuke and Danzō before typing up the last chapter and I've been thinking over it. Why the hell are Danzō's arm Sharingan solid red? Normally it's just the iris that's red. Also, doesn't Izanagi strike you as more of a Mangekyō technique? Why the fuck can normal Sharingan use it? That's stupidly OP.

Votes are as follows:

Karin - 4  
Tayuya - 2  
Ino - 1  
Anko - 1  
Isaribi - 1

Once again, anonymous voters won't be counted because I have no way of knowing how many actual votes there are. If you guys want it to count, go register. It's quick and painless. Voting will end after the next chapter since it seems like Karin is going to win anyways.


	23. The Hunt for Dawn 4

**wedertz: **Thanks. I added in your vote for Anko.

**serialkeller: **You'll find out who it is soon. I don't want to spoil it.

**TheSilverNinetales: **Looks like you read most of the story in one sitting. Thanks for the reviews. I added your vote for Tayuya.

**Foxstar: **Yep, Itachi will be returning soon. Also, I blame this sudden turnaround for Tayuya on you.

**An Anonymous Gentleman:** Is that what it was? I see. Well, I'm tweaking it to fit my needs either way.

**shadonight6365: **Glad you enjoyed it. I added your vote for Tayuya.

** austin: **You liked 21 that much? I felt like it was lacking myself. I added your vote for Tayuya.

**Felicity Dream: **First Sasori and now Karin... were you one of the ones worried about no one but Karin having been developed enough? If so, don't worry, I'll fix it. (I hope)

**lilaznluvfanfic: **I'm glad you enjoy it. I added your vote for Tayuya.

** acid: **Added your vote for Isaribi. I'll let you in on a secret, Karin didn't win.

* * *

**Chapter 22**

_(Hidden Location)_

Nine figures stood with their hands forming a hand sign with a man nearby chakra being sucked out of him.

"How far away are they?" Pein asked.

"**They've arrived."**

"Kakuzu, Hidan, intercept them. We only need a few minutes to finish," he commanded.

"Finally some sacrifices!"

Kakuzu ignored him as the two made their way to the entrance of the cave they were in. As they neared the entrance an explosion rocked the cave, filling the passage with smoke and debris. The two waited for the air to clear before walking out of the cave. Standing outside in front of them was what looked like every single ninja from Kumo, led by the Raikage.

"Thi-this is..." Hidan started. "Praise Jashin! So many sacrifices!" He dove into the mob with a maniacal laugh.

"Hidan!" Kakuzu sighed. "Idiot. You're going to get yourself killed."

"Where is he?" The Raikage demanded.

"He's inside. You can have his body when we're done, since he has no bounty to collect."

The Raikage charged him with a cry of "Lariat!"

Back inside the cave the last of the chakra had been drained, leaving Bee to drop to the floor dead.

Pein's image glanced briefly at the passage leading to the entrance to the cave before dismissing the statue. "I will go collect the Kyūbi. Soon our preparations will be complete and the world will know true pain."

The projections of the members faded away, leaving the two immortals to their fate.

The Raikage would return to Kumo with the bodies of both jinchūriki where they were buried as heroes. He was unable to save them, but he was able to avenge them, with

Rumors would later spread around Kumo of the Raikage turning one of the villains into a foul-mouthed talking head to keep as a 'pet'.

* * *

_(Hidden Sound Base)_

Menma was exhausted. Normally his lack of sleep didn't affect him too much because he took it easy during hours people normally slept. Between fighting off waves of ninja and burning everything in sight to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands he was being pushed far beyond what he was used to.

'_How long has it been? A week? A month? A year? I haven't been this tired since Wave.'_

He was currently fighting off another wave of ninja while Karin was back in a corner of the base destroying.

He felt a presence approach him from behind as he turned the last ninja into a screaming pile of burning flesh. As he looked over his shoulder tiredly he saw Karin approach.

"It's done. We've destroyed everything we need to," she said.

"Really?" Menma flopped down the ground where he was. "And the others aren't back yet? I hope they're alright."

Karin nodded and handed him some food and water. "Should we go check on them?"

"Ye-" Menma cut off as they felt another presence approach. The both stood and readied themselves only to find Itachi stagger into the base.

"Itachi? You look like shit," Menma said.

"Then I must look just like you," he replied before shaking his head. "That doesn't matter. You have to get out of here. You're the only one left."

Menma tilted his head curiously. "Only one left?"

Itachi nodded. "You're the only jinchūriki that hasn't been captured and drained. I'm sure Pein is on his way here as we speak."

Menma groaned. "I can't leave without the others and they haven't returned yet."

"Then we will collect them and leave."

Menma stared at him and sighed. He dug through his pouch for a bit before pulling out a map and spreading it out. "Fine, you'll take the eastern hideout. It's here," he said, marking a location on the map. "Karin, you take the northern hideout. I'll hit up the southern hideout."

"Wait, shouldn't I go to the south? I was in charge of that place before Orochimaru called me back to take Kabuto's place as his medic."

Menma looked over at Karin. "Yeah, and you said it was basically a prison, right? Would you be able to fight through all those prisoners if they got loose? I can't think of any other reason why whoever was sent there was delayed."

Karin nodded, he was probably right.

"Then I will see you both in Konoha," Itachi replied, standing to leave.

"Ah, we should probably meet outside first. Who knows how they'll react to Sound ninja showing up and claiming to be with me."

Itachi looked down at the map for a moment before pointing to a location. "Here. We'll meet up in say, two days. If anyone isn't there we go ahead without them. We need to get to Konoha as quickly as possible so Pein doesn't get the Kyūbi."

The other two nodded. "See you in two days."

Karin and Itachi quickly rushed off to their targets. Menma folded the map up and was about to rush off as well but paused and turned around. Entering Orochimaru's old quarters he set the map down on the desk to climb up and pull his giant fan off the wall.

"Can't forget my reminder, huh Honoka-sensei?" He ran a hand over the surface of the fan as he walked out the door of the chamber. He walked through the base to the exit staring at the fan and lost in thought. When he reached the outside he placed it on his back and rushed for the hideout he was supposed to check.

* * *

Six people entered the hideout not long after they had rushed off. They all had piercings and those that had hair all had the same orange color.

The people walked calmly through the battle-scarred hideout and spread out to search it. Room after room contained nothing but scorch marks, blood splatters, and dead bodies.

Eventually a man with spiky orange hair and two piercings in his lower lip came across Orochimaru's old chambers. Walking over to the desk he stared down briefly at the folded up map. He unfolded it, looked at the circled areas, and calmly walked back out of the base, followed by the other five.

They split into pairs of two. One pair headed north, one pair headed east, and the final pair headed south.

* * *

_(Northern Sound Hideout)_

Karin had reached the hideout fairly quickly and had found things destroyed like they were supposed to be.

She frowned. '_If they already finished the job, where are they?'_ Moving further in she eventually came to a room that had a steel door that was open. As she was staring at the door she sensed two people further in. She rushed towards the two people and burst through a wooden door.

She found Kimimaro and a man with spiky orange hair chatting and drinking tea.

"What the hell are you doing?!" She shouted.

"Ah, Karin. This is my friend Jūgo. He and I were catching up before returning after my mission," Kimimaro replied politely.

"Do you have any idea how long it's been?! We thought something horrible happened!"

"Has it really been that long?" Kimimaro asked looking at Jūgo. He got a shrug in response. "Then we should be on our way."

The three quickly left and headed for the rendezvous point.

Not long after two men with piercings arrived at the hideout. They combed through the area and found nothing. Glancing at each other silently, they turned and left.

* * *

_(Eastern Hideout)_

Itachi arrived at his destination to find a girl with long black hair tied with a ribbon running around frantically. She paused when she saw him before whipping out several senbon and getting in a defensive stance. "I won't go down that easily," she told him with an icy tone.

"You are one of Menma's comrades? I'm here to help, not fight," came the monotone reply.

"Ugh, thank god. There's too much crap here for me to do this alone. I don't even know any fire jutsu."

Itachi took a look around before moving to gather everything up. "Stack it all up in one big pile. I can take care of the fire."

It took them roughly an hour to finish piling everything together. Itachi quickly turned it all to ash with a fireball.

The two turned and left the hideout after making sure their work was done. As they stepped outside two men with piercings appeared in front of them. Itachi immediately got into a defensive stance and activated his Sharingan.

"What's your name, girl?" He asked.

"Kin... Tsuchi Kin," came the reply as she nervously got into a defensive position.

"Kin... these two are stronger than you can imagine. If you don't give this your all from the start, you will die. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," was all she could say in reply. She could feel the power the two gave off.

Itachi nodded and rushed towards the two paths.

* * *

_(Southern Hideout)_

Menma walked through the deserted hideout and frowned. "Where the hell are all the prisoners? Did they already free them and leave? Who even took this hideout anyways? He sighed. "I should have assigned them bases rather than just letting them pick themselves."

He looked at each cell as he passed. All the doors were open and they were all empty. Eventually he came to a section of the prison that held the more violent and dangerous types. They had solid cells with metal doors, but each of them was open and empty as well.

At the end of the hallway he found a cell that had the door closed. He braced himself and opened the door to find a bound and gagged Tayuya sitting in a chair staring at him.

'_Yeah, this isn't a trap at all,'_ Menma thought before walking into the room. He pulled the gag off Tayuya.

"It's a trap, get out of here!"

"You don't say," Menma replied flatly. He proceeded to untie her from the chair. "Are you hurt?"

"No, they just _tickled_ me to knock me out and bind me. What the hell do you think, dumbass?!"

Menma gave her a flat stare. "I was asking if they raped you, Tayuya."

"What?! No! I'm still a- I'm fine!" She shouted, flushing.

It was that moment that the inmates decided to 'spring' their trap. Several large men walked into the room and blocked the exit.

"So, you're the runt who killed Oro-" the man was cut off by a kunai to the head, killing him.

"Was he your leader?" Menma said, staring flatly at the men. "You're thugs and bandits used for experimentation. We're trained ninja and I can summon the Kyūbi to turn this place into a crater. Do you _really_ want to do this?"

"Get them! Raaaagh!" One large man shouted, spurring on all the others.

Menma cut the rest of Tayuya's bindings with a kunai and handed it to her. He then flashed through hand signs. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu." He then pulled the fan off his back and infused it with his wind chakra and swung, enlarging the fireball to a massive size. The fireball was powerful enough to incinerate a trail through the horde of inmates.

The inmates stopped at seeing the fireball cut down the center of them, turning anyone it hit to ash instantly. Many of them turned to each other and began to mutter.

"Last chance to leave here alive," Menma called out.

Most of them decided they were better off running and took off. Only a handful remained.

"Aha! The fatass did have my flute!" Tayuya stood triumphant holding her flute over her head.

Menma smirked at her. "You look like you just found something useful in a treasure chest."

She stuck her tongue out at him before pointing to the remaining inmates. "Those guys are mine. I want revenge."

Menma shrugged and walked off to the side to lean against the wall. Tayuya summoned her Doki and made short work of the inmates before turning to him with a smirk. "There shouldn't be all that much research to destroy, right?"

Menma nodded and led her out of the room. It only took them a few minutes to find the room where most of it was stored. It seemed like the inmates had started looking through it but hadn't taken anything.

Menma fireballed the stash and they were soon rushing out of the base. "That was easy," Tayuya said. "Once we got past the whole hostage bit, I mean."

"Don't jinx us. Karin and I barely got out of Sound before Akatsuki showed up to capture me," Menma replied.

The moment they stepped outside they were confronted by two men surrounded by corpses. Men with orange hair and multiple piercings.

Menma turned to Tayuya. "Tayuya, this is all your fault."

"Well shit."

* * *

**End Chapter 22**

**A/N:**

You all hate me now for leaving the fights for next time, don't you? Oh well. I like how when I mention Karin is going to win suddenly all these Tayuya supporters pop out and vote.

**Final votes**:

Tayuya - 6  
Karin - 4  
Anko - 2  
Isaribi - 2  
Ino - 1

As you can see, Tayuya ended up winning after all. I'll have to do some minor tweaking to the story to make it fit her. I'll also likely do some flashbacks to Menma's time in Sound during the 3 years to build up a relationship with her. I can make it work, but you brought the flashbacks on yourselves!


	24. The Hunt for Dawn 5

**Felicity Dream: **Yeah, not much you _can_ do, especially since I didn't make any real plans ahead of time for a pairing. It was a surprise for me too. As for Yugito and Bee, the story is marked tragedy for a reason. I wonder how many people that will scare off...

**MissAzuka:** I think I know what you're talking about. That's where they assign a 1 through 5 to various stats, right? If I knew anything about that I'd be happy to do some number crunching, but since I don't I'll give you what I can. I'll add it in the A/N at the bottom.

**AAG:** Good old Zelda. I haven't played one of those since the N64 days. I'm glad someone caught it.

**serialkeller:** It was mainly to show that Menma is still human and makes mistakes. Alternatively I could have had one of the Sound ninja survive and get his soul sucked out. Either way, Pein would have found them.

**Homarid: **I'll leave the Akatsuki member alone for now. You'll find out who it is soon. As for using the paths for sealing, I'll be the first to admit I'm twisting techniques to fit my needs. Most of them are fairly minor tweaks and it is AU so I hope no one minds too much.

**Foxstar: **Really? Huh. Well, congratulations either way. I'll have to add flashbacks to make her fit better.

**somedayisours: **Sorry if I wasn't clear. Itachi is in the East while Menma is in the South. The corpses were the inmates that ran from Menma and Tayuya.

** acid: **It was a surprise for all of us I think. Thanks. For some reason it doesn't like the fur portion of your name and blocks it out when I type it in...

**Uchiha Rai: **I hadn't even noticed that until you brought it up. It's a coincidence that they're so similar.

* * *

**Chapter 23**

_(Southern Hideout)_

Menma turned to Tayuya. "Tayuya, this is all your fault."

"Well shit."

Neither group seemed to notice the figure hiding nearby watching them.

The one with spiky hair spoke as the two pairs stared at each other. "I've found you, Kyūbi."

Menma pulled his fan off his back with a growl. "Why does everyone in your group insist on calling me Kyūbi? Do I look like a giant fox to you?!"

Tayuya pulled out a dozen kunai and wrapped explosive tags around them as Menma flashed through hand signs. After hearing his "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" followed by a wave of his fan, she threw the kunai.

The heftier of the two Akatsuki members stepped forward and put both his hands in front of him. As the wind-enhanced fireball approached him it was sucked up and vanished.

Tayuya and Menma were surprised that the fireball vanished, but didn't have time to think over it. As soon as the fireball was gone the member let his hands drop only to get hit with the explosive kunai. He looked down at the kunai as the tags went off, blowing him backwards. The other member dodged to the side as he flew past, skipping off the ground.

He stood, watching them impassively as a metal rod emerged from his sleeve. Tayuya took advantage of his pause and summoned her Doki while Menma activated his Mangekyō.

They stood standing for a few moments before Pein rushed at them with his rod ready to strike.

'_He's fast. I hope Tayuya can keep up.' _Menma thought as he watched the man charge them. He fired off a quick blast of wind in an effort to slow him down, but the man simply looked at him and the attack seemed to dissipate.

'_Damn it, does he absorb attacks too?' _Menma placed his fan on his back and rushed at him, pulling a kunai out.

Pein reached Tayuya's Doki first, and weaved through them as they clumsily smashed around trying to attack him. As he broke through them Menma arrived and with a slash that he barely dodged, forced him back into the center of the Doki.

Menma quickly created two mud clones and had them move to form a triangle around the Doki and Akatsuki member. As the Doki flailed around trying to smash Pein with brute strength, he dodged and weaved between them, seemingly intent on breaking through to wound Tayuya and dispel them.

Eventually he shifted tactics and attempted to break through the far side. When he managed to get past the Doki Menma used a quick Kawarimi with the mud clone over there only to get hit in the stomach with a punch strong enough to send him flying. Pein quickly ducked back into the group to break through the side Tayuya was on.

Menma spit out some blood and stood, wiping his mouth. '_He's stronger than he looks. I might have to use Kurama or the seal at this rate, but first...'_ He formed another mud clone and prepared to use another technique but found himself grabbed from behind. Looking at the arms that held him he could see a singed Akatsuki robe and cursed. The other member had survived the explosive tags and he could feel him draining his chakra.

"A little help?" Menma said to his clone that had been standing and watching the fight. It turned around when Menma called out to it and looked at the Akatsuki member curiously. With a shrug it pulled its fan off its back and held it ready.

"Useless," the man said, holding up one hand in preparation for a wind attack. Releasing the one hand gave Menma enough room to tilt his head to the side, dropping it to shoulder level. After Menma had tilted his head to the side the clone jumped forward and swung the fan with all its might, smashing the Akatsuki member in the side of the head with the edge of the fan.

The Akatsuki member slumped to the ground and the clone grinned down at him. "What? You didn't think it was just for wind jutsu did you?"

Menma shook his head at the clone. "Come on, you get to test out that wind-enhanced Rasengan on an enemy, aren't you glad?"

The clone glared at him. "A suicide attack?"

Menma shrugged. "You're a clone, it doesn't count as suicide."

"It'll be fun, come on." He quickly prepared a seal before turning to the clone expectantly.

The clone frowned but formed a Rasengan anyways. Menma took a few moments to mold wind chakra into it before rushing off ahead of the clone.

As he rushed into the group of clones and Doki Pein turned to fend him off and got a slap in the gut. Menma didn't stop and rushed out the other side to grab Tayuya and drag her away. When Pein tried to turn to follow Menma he found he couldn't move. When he looked down at his stomach he found Menma had slapped a paralysis seal on him.

"Dispel your Doki!" Menma shouted to Tayuya as he carried her away. She hesitated and dispelled them right as the mud clone with the Rasenshuriken reached Pein.

The surrounding mud clones were all immediately destroyed sending mud flying. Pein suffered through the entire attack before dropping and lying still.

Menma and Tayuya watched him for a bit before approaching cautiously. When they reached the body and prodded it they were satisfied that he was dead. Menma briefly glanced over at the other one with his head partially caved in from his clones fan and nodded. "We should hurry to the meeting point."

Tayuya simply nodded so they turned to leave. They found another man wearing an Akatsuki cloak and sporting multiple piercings. This one was bald, however.

They braced themselves as the man raised his arm. They stared on as he raised his other hand and... detached his arm? They only had a moment to be confused before metal objects were flying out of his arm at them. They both dove to the right behind some debris as the metal objects impacted and exploded.

When the explosions stopped they emerged from behind the debris to see a giant head poof in a cloud of smoke.

'_A summon?' _As the smoke cleared they found two new Akatsuki members standing before them as well as the two they had previously defeated back on their feet in perfect shape.

Menma sighed and gave Tayuya a flat stare. "This really is your fault."

"I'm sorry, alright?! How was I supposed to know Akatsuki was here?"

* * *

_(Eastern Hideout)_

As Itachi rushed the Akatsuki pair the one with straight long orange hair stepped back. The one with a ponytail and single bang covering his right side slammed his hand on the ground.

Itachi stopped his charge and jumped back as he heard "Kuchiyose no Jutsu." A giant ox appeared from the smoke.

"So you've betrayed us, Itachi," the summoner said.

Itachi ignored him in favor of activating his Mangekyō and turning to the ox summon. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" He breathed out a giant fireball at the creature.

Kin who had simply been watching until this point quickly formed hand signs and shouted "Fūton: Daitoppa!" boosting the strength of the fireball.

The fireball smashed into the ox, lighting the creature on fire. After a few seconds of burning it dispelled. "Forgive me, but I think I would like to resign," Itachi told the summoner.

Kin rushed off to the side to attack the other member, leaving Itachi and the summoner alone. The summoner stared at Itachi silently before summoning two more creatures. A giant three-headed dog and a rhino.

Itachi quickly turned to the dog and called out "Amaterasu!". He had been hoping to dispel the dog as well, leaving him to deal with the rhino and summoner but all it did was split the creature in three. As the flames continued to burn the original dog that now only had a single head more and more split off from it, creating a small army. Itachi's mind raced as his eye bled from the use of Amaterasu.

'_Why is Amaterasu causing it to split instead of destroy it? _Itachi watched on as the rhino charged at him, each dog it stepped on splitting into two. '_Damage. Each time a dog suffers damage it splits!'_

He had been so focused on the dogs that the rhino had reached him without trouble. Just as it was about to run him over it crashed into a giant yellow ethereal ribcage. A skeletal hand smashed down into the rhino before grabbing its head and twisting it violently. With a thunderous crack the rhino's neck was broken and it was dispelled.

The summoner then summoned another animal, this time a giant bird with three feet. The bird flew up a ways before turning to dive at Itachi. The strength of it's attack cracking the ribs of the Susanoo. It flew off before he could retaliate and waited for the dogs to provide a distraction.

As the dogs charged at Itachi more of Susanoo manifested. The head and left arm appeared and muscle and flesh started to cover its frame. He used the left arm in large sweeping motions to knock the dogs back while waiting for the bird to attack again. This time he was prepared for it and the right fist smashed into the side of the bird as it dived, dispelling it.

The summoner who had been standing back and watching impassively was surprised when Itachi dispelled Susanoo and jumped to where he had a clear line of sight to him. Before it could react Itachi shouted "Amaterasu." and it burst into flames. It collapsed and the dogs dispelled shortly after. Panting, Itachi turned to see where Kin and the other member had gone.

* * *

After Kin had left Itachi to deal with the summoner she made her way to the other Akatsuki member and quickly found him watching the fight against Itachi.

She quickly pulled out several senbon and threw them at the member to disable him. She was surprised when he turned, rushed at her, and kicked her hard enough to send her flying.

'_Those senbon should have knocked him out.' _She thought and frowned as she struggled to her feet. She briefly wondered if she had missed until she saw them sticking out of him. She pulled out a kunai and rushed towards him to check the placing of her senbon. If they hit and didn't do anything she must have missed her targets.

They spent several minutes exchanging blows back and forth, with only a few landing. When they jumped apart Kin frowned. '_Those senbon all hit the right spot. Why is he able to completely ignore them?' _She shook her head. If regular senbon didn't work she'd just make something else work.

Pulling out more senbon and some ninja wire and bells. She began to throw them at the man, who didn't make much effort to dodge them as she wasn't aiming for him. After she had set up the bells for her genjutsu she grinned and triggered her trap. '_If senbon don't work I'll just find myself another advantage.'_

The man glanced at the surrounding senbon and bells before rushing straight at her and punching her in the gut.

As Kin staggered back she gasped. '_Senbon and genjutsu don't work? It's like he's a damn zombie! Fine!' _She pulled out what seemed like hundreds of senbon, and this time charged them all with wind chakra.

She didn't wait for him to react and started hurling the senbon at him. The man did his best to dodge them, but with how many senbon she was throwing it was like trying to dodge the rain. Eventually one of the senbon managed to catch the man in his eye which caused him to jerk violently. Kin used the distraction to rush in behind him with a kunai and jam it into his spine at the base of his skull. The man collapsed lifelessly.

As she turned to walk back towards the other fight she came across a tired looking Itachi. "We should go support the others," Kin said.

Itachi nodded and turned south. "Menma is the most important. The others will have to fend for themselves."

* * *

_(Southern Hideout)_

Menma and Tayuya stood facing the four cloaked men. Menma frowned, dealing with two of them had been enough of a pain in the ass and now there were four.

As Tayuya and Menma prepared to renew their attack they felt several more people approaching them from behind. "Do you require assistance, Menma-sama?"

"Kimimaro!" He risked a glance back to see Kimimaro, Karin, and some guy with orange spikey haired that vaguely resembled the Akatsuki member. "Who's that guy?"

"Ah, allow me to introduce my friend, Jūgo. I hope you will let him join us," Kimimaro replied.

"A friend, huh? Think you guys can take care of a couple of them?" He nodded towards the Akatsuki members.

Just as Menma asked that the Akatsuki member that launched the explosives at them seemed to grow several more arms and faces. "I would be happy to. I will deal with the strange looking one."

Tayuya spoke up then. "I'll take the one in the back. He's probably the healer. Always gotta kill those bastards first."

Menma nodded. "I'll take the one in the center." He risked a glance at the new guy. "Jūgo was it? Think you can handle the last one? He absorbs ninjutsu."

Jūgo glanced at Kimimaro who nodded to him. "Yeah... I can."

With that, Menma sent a blast of wind at the Akatsuki group. The large man stepped in front to absorb the blast again and shortly after was blown away by a massive punch from Jūgo.

Kimimaro, who had pulled out a bone sword, engaged the mechanical one and used the flat of his blade to block and parry attacks.

Menma slowly approached the one that had been killed by the Rasenshuriken previously and grinned at him. "So, how'd that Rasenshuriken feel? You were my guinea pig."

The man lifted his hand towards Menma, which confused him as he wasn't using an attack that could be absorbed, and simply said "Shinra Tensei."

Menma felt like he had been punched in the gut by Kurama and flew off into the distance, away from the others. Pein lifted off the ground before flying off after him.

* * *

Menma groaned as he sat up and looked around. He now found himself in some woods, away from the water surrounded southern hideout.

"Ugh, damn that hurt," he groaned again as he stood. Feeling a presence behind him he quickly whirled around and threw a dozen kunai with explosive tags sizzling.

Pein again held up his hand, repelling the kunai.

Menma's eyes went wide as his own kunai came flying back at him. "Shit!" He dove to the side as they exploded. He ducked behind a tree to wait out the explosions and to think over what had happened so far.

First had been the wind attack that had seemingly been absorbed.

Second had been that attack that launched him backwards through the air.

And finally he had just redirected those kunai.

'_If he just absorbed attacks it would explain the wind attack, but if he repelled them it would explain all three. I wouldn't have seen it repel the first because it was just plain wind. Ah, but my body wasn't an attack, so... perhaps he can just repel anything?'_ He quickly formed five mud clones and placed explosive tags in one, which got him a groan. "More suicide attacks?"

"Shut up and go. I have to be sure."

The explosive mud clone groaned and rushed off. The clone attacked with a kunai only to be blocked by a metal rod, which then quickly cut it down. Pein's eyes widened when he saw the tags about to explode. With a burst of energy the dissolving clone was hurled away where it exploded and took out a tree.

'_So it's controlled. It's not some sort of automatic defense like that Gaara kid's sand.'_ He stuffed explosive tags in the remaining clones and sent them off in a staggered attack. He timed them so that each following clone would arrive right as the previous one finished exploding.

The first clone ended up much the same way as the previous one, being hurled away to explode against a tree. The second clone however got tripped and pinned to the ground with a metal rod while Pein jumped away from it. The third got caught in the explosion of the second, while the fourth also flew into a tree to explode.

Menma grinned and created five more clones. Each one got the rest of his explosive tags. After they were all prepared the group stepped out from behind the tree. "I figured out your little trick," he said. "You can repel things," he said with a grin. Shortly after he sent the first clone to attack.

He was expecting it to get launched back like the previous attacks. Instead it was grabbed and slammed into the ground before being pinned by a metal rod. After which Pein raised his hand to the group and called out "Banshō Ten'in!"

Menma and the four remaining mud clones let out a collective "Shit!" as they all found themselves hurtling towards the soon to explode first clone.

Pein jumped away as the first clone exploded, causing a chain reaction with the other explosive clones. The explosion launched Menma back and through several trees.

"Ugh... damn it. That was stupid," Menma groaned out straining to stand. His clothes were scorched and torn.

"Yes, it was," a voice said from behind him. He felt a blow and his vision began to dim.

He heard the person whisper one last line as his world faded into darkness.

* * *

_(Eastern Hideout)_

A badly burned Animal Path stood and with difficulty formed hand signs. A "Kuchiyose no Jutsu." later it had summoned the other paths as well as the hooded Akatsuki figure that had been observing the fights.

The Naraka Path summoned the King of Hell. The injured paths walked into the mouth, were chewed, and then walked back out in pristine condition.

"The Kyūbi has been captured. Let us quickly perform the ritual before anyone interferes," the Deva path said. The group of ninja vanished with an unconscious Menma.

* * *

_(Southern Hideout)_

Kin and Itachi arrived to find the various other members standing around in confusion.

"Where the hell did they go? I was just about to gut that asshole!" Tayuya shouted.

Kimimaro looked around for a minute before absorbing his bone sword. "Come, let us join up with Menma-sama," he said, before running off in the direction Menma had been launched.

They spent two hours searching after they found where Menma and the Deva Path had fought, but never found him.

Itachi let out a rare frown and turned to the group. "I fear he has been captured and we don't have the strength to save him alone. We must hurry to Konoha."

As the group turned and rushed off to Konoha Tayuya lingered and looked back at the massive scorched crater left by the exploding clones. "You better be alright, Menma. If you're dead by the time we find you I'll kill you myself."

She turned and vanished into the trees.

* * *

**End Chapter 23**

**A/N:**

Since I kept it pretty vague until the end I'll put specifics down here. The first two paths that didn't run into anyone in the Northern Hideout are the Asura and Naraka paths. The two that went to the East and faced Itachi and Kin were the Animal and Human paths. Which left Menma and Tayuya with Deva and Preta.

Human was 'killed' by Kin, while the Animal path faked it's death from Itachi.

Deva and Preta were both killed and then, of course, revived by the Naraka when it arrived with the Asura.

They were all restored at the end there.

Itachi and the Sound group return to Konoha next chapter. Menma's fate and the hooded Akatsuki member will also probably be revealed next chapter, maybe the one after.

As for character strength:

For the most part, the characters are just as strong as canon. They just reached those points earlier.

Sakura is straight up canon strength. I haven't messed with her at all.

Sasuke is weaker than in canon because he doesn't have his Mangekyō...yet. While using his curse seal he is stronger than he would be in canon, simply because bijū are stronger than Orochimaru. He's stupidly OP in canon so it's an effort to balance things out.

Menma/Naruto is stronger and his skillset is different. He has Kurama as a summon instead of his Kyūbi mode. His curse seal takes the place of Sage mode. Obviously his sealing knowledge outstrips canon Naruto's. He technically has access to Rasenshuriken as well as a fire variant, so his ninjutsu is slightly stronger. Genjutsu is stronger only because of his Sharingan, without it he's just as useless in that area as canon. Taijutsu... would be about the same as canon, but he avoids it. If you can consider his fan use as kenjutsu that's stronger than canon as well. If I'm missing anything else, let me know.

Oh yeah, I updated the story to reflect the pairing.


	25. Facing the Past

**serialkeller: **I'm not sure where this "getting his ass handed to him in nearly every fight" is coming from. He fought Orochimaru to a standstill as a genin. It took Sasuke 3? years to get to the point where he could kill Orochimaru. It took Menma 2(even if he did use poison). It took Naruto sage mode 90% of the time and his 8-tailed nearly 9-tailed state to beat Pein. Menma pretty much stomped him the first time without using his seal or summoning Kurama. He got hit with a sneak attack the second time(by the hooded Akatsuki member that was spying on them). Just because you're strong doesn't mean you can't lose.

**Guest: **I was under the impression that that tag was for the wavy blonde-haired kid by the same name. If it bothers people I can change it. The RTN Menma was just an alternate version of Naruto, as is mine.

**The Eye of God:** You'll actually find out why he doesn't use most of what he can near the end of this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 24**

_(Konoha)_

Itachi, Jūgo, and the Sound Four had just reached Konoha and were being escorted to see the Hokage. It took only minutes for word to spread throughout the village. Itachi had returned. People were lining up on the road to the Hokage's tower to see him for themselves and give him a heroes welcome.

Karin adjusted her glasses as they travelled. "Isn't this strange? Does your village usually treat its missing-nin like this?"

Itachi kept his blank face and tried not to look around in surprise. "I was told I've been pardoned. Their reactions are unusual though."

Eventually they made it to the tower and were immediately ushered into Tsunade's office.

"Uchiha Itachi... welcome back," Tsunade said, once the group had been left alone. "Who might these people be?"

"Thank you, Hokage-sama. These people are..." He turned to them. "What are you?"

"We are Menma-sama's personal guard," Kimimaro replied before gesturing to Jūgo. "And my friend."

Tsunade raised her eyebrow at that. "You're his guard? Then where is he?"

Itachi returned his gaze to Tsunade before replying. "We... believe Akatsuki has captured him. We were attacked while trying to escape Sound. After we engaged and fought some of them Menma was separated from us. Eventually they all vanished. Menma was missing as well, so we assumed they captured him."

"Why did you not pursue them?" Tsunade asked.

"We were exhausted and in no condition to fight. We also had no way of tracking them, as they had simply vanished. Almost like they were reverse summoned," Itachi replied.

Tsunade stared at him quietly for a minute. "It's a good thing that Jiraiya warned us Akatsuki might attack then. We've been preparing to face them for about a week now." She turned and nodded at Shizune who hurried out of the room. "Any ideas where they would have taken him if they captured him?"

Itachi paused in thought for a minute. "Ame. If he was the last they would return to their stronghold in Ame."

"Looks like you're headed to Ame then," she said, looking over the group. "Any of you want to stay behind?"

Jūgo nodded. "Is there someplace secluded nearby that I can stay?"

Tsunade nodded and turned to the others. "Get some rest and resupply. You'll leave first thing in the morning." She wrote a quick note down and handed it to Jūgo. "Ask someone you come across to direct you to training ground 44. If they cause any problems show them the note.

The group bowed and left, leaving Tsunade alone in the office.

* * *

The sun was just beginning to set when Sasuke returned from the training ground to the Uchiha district. He had decided to take a different path home this time, and had entered the district from a smaller side gate. As he walked down the road the red-orange hue of the sunset reminded him of blood. It made him think back to that night all those years ago. He was still angry with Itachi for killing everyone, but after Tsunade had explained to the village what had happened he knew that Itachi was just as much a victim as he was.

Eventually he came to the main road where he turned to walk down it towards his compound and froze. Standing at the gate to the compound bathed in the orange light was a man with long black hair tied back in a ponytail. He wore body mesh underneath a blue shirt and pants and held a forehead protector in his hand.

Sensing the presence behind him the man turned around to face him. "Itachi?" Sasuke whispered.

"Hello, little brother," Itachi replied.

Sasuke walked up to him in a daze before punching him in the gut. Itachi flinched slightly but otherwise didn't react.

"That's just a greeting. I'll give you a proper beating for killing everyone tomorrow," Sasuke told him.

"I'm afraid it will have to wait. Tomorrow we leave for Ame to rescue Menma," Itachi replied.

"Resc-" Sasuke frowned. "Akatsuki?" Itachi nodded. Sasuke growled and walked past him into the compound. "Tell me everything."

Itachi paused to look up at the compound one last time before following Sasuke into his old home.

* * *

Early the next morning Tsunade stood in front of a team of assembled ninja in her office. Present were the Sound Four, Itachi, and Team 7.

"I've already briefed the other teams. They will be running interference and distracting the enemy as best they can. Your mission is to infiltrate Ame and rescue Menma," she turned to look out the office window. "Your secondary objective will be to destroy the statue they have been sealing the beasts inside. Do you have any questions?"

The eight people gathered remained silent. "Good. Kakashi will be in charge for this mission." She turned to the Sound Four. "Which of you is best suited for command?"

Karin and Kin both pointed to a passive Kimimaro. Tayuya frowned and looked down.

"You will be second-in-command under Kakashi," she said, looking at Kimimaro. He nodded in understanding. "Move out!" As the group vanished she turned back to her window and frowned.

"Good luck."

* * *

_(Ame)_

Kurama was furious. If the brat had just done what he wanted and stored nine tails of power in his little snake bite he would be free and this wouldn't be happening.

He was also terrified. He knew what was happening. He could feel it pulling him in. Knowingly or not the fool monkeys were recreating that monster he had been 'born' from. He did not want to return to it. He had raged and pulled and done everything he could to break free, but it was no use. He knew he wasn't going to get away.

He also knew that his cage had been weakening. He could see it breaking apart as they tore him out of the boy. At this point, he could do anything he wanted. He could destroy the cage, but he wouldn't be free. He could even finish the seal he had been trying to trick the boy into completing.

He stopped to think at that. He could store a full nine tails worth of power into the seal now. His mind wouldn't be connected to it, but his power would remain. That was life of sorts, right? What if they managed to destroy the beast like the Sage had in the past? If they separated it again would they all become new beings? Would they disappear? If he stored his power in the boy's seal and they did break them apart again would he be restored?

If he wanted to do it he would have to do it soon. If he wanted enough power to charge the seal he would have to do it before they drained too much. It wasn't really much of a choice, guaranteed death, or a slim chance at surviving.

Kurama tore through his cage and forced his power into the seal, boosting it to a full nine tails worth of power. He grinned as his mind broke apart and the rest of his power was absorbed into the statue. They wouldn't get all of his power. An entirely new set of his power now existed in that other seal, as well as pieces in others.

* * *

_(?)_

Pain. Pain like a thousand razor blades cutting him to pieces. Pain like he was burning alive. Pain like he was drowning in acid.

Pain like his body was dying and decaying while he was still alive.

Menma jerked up and found himself in his apartment from his childhood. He had been lying on the bed like he was sleeping.

Pain, like he was being electrocuted and his skin was peeling off in flakes.

He looked down at his hands with a groan and found them to be small, too small. He staggered out of bed and into the bathroom. With some difficulty he managed to look at himself in the mirror. A boy with spikey black hair and mismatched eyes looked back at him. The boy looked to be around 8 years old.

He frowned. Something felt... off. After staring at himself for several more moments and not finding anything wrong he walked out of the bathroom and looked around the apartment. He was supposed to do something... but what?

"Ah!" He said after seeing the date on the calendar. "Sensei was going to start with the real training tonight."

He quickly hurried out the door and locked it behind him. As he looked around he grew confused. The path he usually takes to Sensei's house was fine, but everything else was blurry. It was covered by fog and hard to see. Even the sky was odd. Normally he would run down the path, but tonight he was walking slowly and glancing around him curiously.

As he walked he passed a wall with a familiar fan icon on it. As he stepped past the walls he felt something wash over him. '_This is...'_ As he walked along another wave of pain burned through him causing him to stagger and nearly drop to his knees. When he straightened up he found himself inside a house facing a very irate man.

The man's mouth was moving like he was screaming at him, but he couldn't hear him. Moments later he lashed out with a powerful kick that sent him flying out of the house and into the street. Menma frowned again, he hadn't felt any pain when that kick landed.

As he lay in the street the fog started getting thicker. A man walked over to him and looked down at him. He too talked without making any sound. A name came to mind suddenly. '_Itachi.'_ The fog completely covered everything and the world around him turned dark.

He looked down at himself in confusion. He could still see himself and he seemed older. When he looked back up the fog had retreated and he found himself in a forest clearing staring up at two figures in a tree. '_Mizuki-sensei.'_ The man fell forward after being stabbed in the back and died right before his eyes.

Another wave of pain, and the world again, fogged up and darkened.

More scenes flashed before him, but he barely registered them. Water. Explosions and cliffs collapsing. Men with impossibly long necks biting people. A boy with black hair and black eyes surrounded by four people. '_Sasuke.'_

One of the people was a girl with red hair and wearing an odd looking hat. She was important. What was her name again?

Darkness.

He found himself underground now. He had been exploring when that girl from before had found him and dragged him off to a training area. He focused as they reached the training field, as he did her voice gradually could be heard.

"...how a real ninja fights, shithead," the girl said.

He blurred forward and delivered a punch to her gut that set her smashing into the wall. Wait, no he didn't. He looked down, he was still standing there. When he looked up he saw another him standing and smirking at the girl.

The girl coughed and started cussing at him.

"Sorry. I should have known you were a sailor and not a ninja," the other him said.

"You just got a lucky shot in, you little shit," the girl snarled.

He watched as the other him beat the hell out of the girl. After he had finished he turned to her. "Your friend is right, ladies shouldn't speak like that."

"Go to hell," the girl wheezed out as the other him walked away. The world faded and similar memories played several times. Each time the other him would brutally beat the girl when she cussed at him.

Eventually the girl learned this and began to speak normally around him. They would have regular sparring sessions during these times. When the other him would catch her elsewhere cursing he would call her random horrible sailor names. She took offense to that and would curse at him, which would result in him dragging her off to a training ground and pummeling her again.

Menma figured out where he was. His was seeing his memories.

He watched the other him and the girl interact over time. As they spent more time training and doing missions her looks towards the other him gradually became less and less severe. Eventually he came across the memory that changed her expression towards a kinder one.

They had been on a mission where her flute had been destroyed by an enemy. It had left her quite depressed, so he decided to do something about it.

Orochimaru had previously approached him about having a weapon crafted for him. He expected him to ask for a sword as he had been pushing him to learn to use one properly. Menma had told him at the time that he already had a weapon and didn't need a new one.

Returning to Orochimaru he told him he was ready to have a weapon made, but he wanted to be in charge of it. Orochimaru allowed it and gave him funds to have one created. Rather than taking it to a smith for a weapon he used it to have a flute crafted instead.

When he had delivered it to her she had hugged him and thanked him. Her! Tayuya the Sailor thanking someone! She had been kinder since that day.

Shortly after was when she found out Kin was a part of his group and joined.

More memories flashed by. Smaller ones that added up to a larger picture. Her volunteering to help him when he needed it. Him finding her playing her flute late at night and commenting on how good she was.

Eventually he came to another larger memory. He and the three girls, Karin, Kin, and Tayuya had just finished a meeting when Karin turned to him with a sigh.

"That was such a nice date, we should do it again soon," she said, scooting closer to try and hang off him.

"Are you stupid? This wasn't a date, it was a meeting!" Tayuya corrected.

"It was a date! Any time I spend with Menma-kun is a date!"

"A date is when two people spend time alone! Like, eating dinner or... watching a movie or something! That's a date!"

"Hah! You don't even know what a date is!" Karin seemed pleased. "This was a date and it was lovely. It's a shame you'll never experience it."

Tayuya grit her teeth before slamming her hands on the table and turning to Menma. "We're going on a date," she glared at Karin. "A _real_ date. Just you and me."

Karin sputtered and opened her mouth to deny her when Menma shrugged and spoke. "Alright."

That caught both Karin and Tayuya off guard for a moment. "Ah, that's right! It better be good," Tayuya said before rushing out of the room.

Neither of them had any nice clothes so in the end he had just taken her to a festival in a nearby town.

As they arrived at the festival his feet started to have a prickling feeling to them. Like they had fallen asleep. As the night of the memory progressed the feeling crept up his legs. When they reached the end of the memory where they were watching fireworks it had reached his waist. He frowned as he watched Tayuya plant a sloppy kiss on his other self before rushing off. She had always been impulsive.

The memory changed to the night Karin had informed him of Orochimaru's plan for stealing his body the next day. His other self had pulled his fan off the wall of his room and headed straight for Tayuya's quarters.

His other self had pounded on the door until she answered.

"What, damn it?!" She asked angrily as she ripped the door open. "Ah, Menma..."

"I don't care right now. I'm going to face Orochimaru. Sorry ahead of time if I lose. If I win, I'll have to pose as him so we won't be able to spend as much time together alone anymore." His other self gave her a quick hug and a kiss before rushing off. She quietly closed the door afterwards and he could hear her cursing.

The feeling had climbed up to his neck. Something was wrong. Where was the pain? Why was it just this pins and needles feeling?

The feeling reached the very top of his head, and his eyelids jerked open.

* * *

_(Ame)_

The explosive tags blew the door open and the rescue team rushed into the darkened room. In the center they could see red chakra draining out of Menma and into a giant statue. After the chakra was fully absorbed Menma dropped to the ground.

"You're too late," the Deva path said to them. "Although your friend has survived the process."

Sasuke growled and whipped a fūma shuriken towards the figures in black robes. The Deva path lifted a hand and redirected the giant shuriken downwards where it slammed into Menma. He coughed up some blood but otherwise remained limp.

"No!" Tayuya shouted before turning to deck Sasuke. "Asshole!" Sasuke just stared blankly at the shuriken stuck in his friend's body.

The Akatsuki members stepped forward to deal with the intruders. The Deva path lifted his hand and with a "Shinra Tensei" blew the Konoha ninja through a wall and out into the city. The Akatsuki members then followed them out through the hole, leaving Menma and the hooded figure behind.

The hooded figure walked over to Menma and pulled the shuriken out of him before tossing it aside. "Why do you still hold back?"

Menma slowly looked up at her, blood bubbling out of his mouth.

"I see. You're afraid. Afraid that you'll change. Afraid you'll become someone... some_thing_ different." The figure waved a hand towards the gaping hole in the wall. Even though it was raining it was a fairly bright day and the light was pouring in, lighting the room slightly. "Your friends are out there fighting. If you continue this way you can drag yourself over there. They might find you and heal you in time. You might be able to defeat some of Pein's bodies, but at what cost?"

The figure then waved a hand towards a passage that was slightly revealed by the light pouring in. A passage no one had noticed in the dark. "Or you can stop holding back. Use what you have and hunt down his true body. He is crippled and can't move. Kill him and the other bodies will stop moving."

The figure stood and walked towards the passage leading to Pein's true body. "I might even answer your questions."

The figure stopped and looked back at him. "Make your choice," it commanded.

'_That phrase... that voice... it reminds me of...'_

"Do you return to what you know?" Menma's heart skipped a beat. '_Impossible.'_

"Or do you follow me into shadow?"

* * *

**End Chapter 24**

**A/N:**

Yeah, that's right, I did it. Anyways, everything should be explained next chapter.

As for Tayuya... I'm having problems. I was so sure Karin was going to win that I can't figure out how to make Tayuya fit. I hope with the little bit of memory here that it at least laid some groundwork that people find acceptable. If you guys have any suggestions let me know.


	26. Facing the Past 2

First off, holy crap. This story has been hovering around 400 visitors and 1.5k views for a little over a week now. Yesterday it jumped up to 682 visitors and 3.29k views. That's the biggest jump in stats I've seen since the story started. I wonder if it was adding Tayuya or hitting some new filter that caused it.

**WhyteFyre:** I'm happy that you're enjoying it. I've mentioned it in a few other reviews now but Wave was unexpected. I had originally planned for it to be mostly canon but changed it on a whim. As for updates, I've updated every day since I started writing this story. I don't think I've missed a single day yet. I fully intend to finish this story, even if it won't continue for very much longer.

**serialkeller: **Yeah, she's alive. Sasuke/Karin? Well, I don't really plan on putting anyone else together but that doesn't mean they can't after the story ends.

**Elle-Chan: **Glad you liked it so much. I tried to change it in ways I haven't read yet in fanfiction. Some parts of it have worked better than others. As I mentioned before, I upload new chapters daily, so you won't have to wait too long to read more.

* * *

**Chapter 25**

_(Ame - Pein's Tower)_

The figure stopped and looked back at him. "Make your choice," it commanded.

'_That phrase... that voice... it reminds me of...'_

"Do you return to what you know?" Menma's heart skipped a beat. '_Impossible.'_

"Or do you follow me into shadow?"

Menma scrambled to his feet as the figure disappeared down the passage leading to Pein. His vision wavered dangerously as he staggered forward a few steps before collapsing. Somewhere deep inside his mind, glass spiderwebbed and stone cracked, a thick black fluid seeping free. He grit his teeth and stood slowly. Looking down he clapped a hand over the wound in his chest, took a few moments to steady himself, and slowly walked towards the passage leading to Pein.

He didn't look towards the hole leading outside even once.

He walked for what felt like years. Passing through corridors, and climbing stairs, he left a bloody trail of footprints. Each step was filled with pain and his vision blurred, shifted, and refocused countless time.

Eventually he reached the top and entered a large room. At the far end in a giant spider-like metal contraption stood a man with red hair with the same eyes all the orange haired men had. "Pein?" Menma croaked out.

A black metal rod shot out at him. Menma managed to catch it just as the tip stuck in to his shoulder. He dropped the rod and collapsed to his knees. Where was she? There was only one path and he had followed it all the way to the end only to find Pein.

"You live even after losing your beast?" Menma only glared up at him weakly. "Then cling to life for awhile longer. Let me teach you true pain with the corpses of your comrades."

Menma growled and with one last burst of energy, picked up the rod, and threw it at him, piercing him through the heart.

"Well done," the hooded figure said, stepping out of the shadows. The hood was pulled down to reveal Uchiha Honoka. The first person to teach him. The first person to ever help him.

"Honoka... sensei. How? I saw you die."

She blinked at this. "You know my name? I never told you what it was."

"I learned it," Menma replied.

She smiled at that and looked over at Nagato's dead body. "Well I think you've earned the answers to your questions." She paused and turned back to Menma. "I'm going to tell you a story."

"A story?"

She nodded. "A story about a little girl. This girl was born to average parents. These average parents named their little girl Honoka." She paused. "Do you know what it means?"

Menma shook his head.

"It means faint or indistinct.(1) She would often wonder throughout her life if her parents could see the future and had a cruel sense of humor. Or perhaps it was that they cursed her. No matter how hard she tried, no matter how much she excelled, she would always be overlooked for someone else," she frowned.

"It was like she was a ghost. No one saw her, no one acknowledged her," she shook her head. "No, that's not true. One person did. one of the popular girls in the academy befriended her. She wasn't a very nice girl, though, she had only befriended her to bully her. The popular girl and her other friends were planning a big prank on her that would embarrass her in front of the class."

"Honoka found out about it and couldn't believe it. She confronted her one day out in a seldom used training ground. The girl laughed at Honoka, laughed and mocked her. Eventually the two got into a fight. They pulled hair and scratched each other. It was quite shameful for ninja in training. As they rolled around on the ground they rolled over a kunai that hadn't been cleaned up. The kunai got lodged in the ground as they rolled around and ended up stabbing the popular girl in the back and through her heart."

"They investigated the death later, and do you know what happened?" Menma shook his head. "One of the popular girl's other friends got the blame!" Honoka let out a crazy laugh at that. "Little Honoka was so invisible she could kill her first and only friend and someone else's life was ruined for it!"

She calmed down and continued. "She unlocked the Mangekyō Sharingan, of course, but couldn't tell anyone. One of her greatest achievements and no one would know about it. Time moved on and Honoka became a ninja. She would train hard and advance to Jōnin shortly before the Kyūbi attack."

She paused her story there. "Do you know about the Mangekyō?"

Menma nodded. "It's unique to each person."

Honoka nodded in reply. "In both looks and ability. Some are better at using Amaterasu. Some can brainwash others, some can control space and time. Honoka's gave her greater control over a kinjutsu called Izanagi."

'_That ability made Danzō a real pain in the ass...'_

"When the Kyūbi attacked Konoha it was being controlled. The man controlling it was an underling of Madara." She looked at his hairstyle that looked almost exactly like Madara's. "I'm sure you already know about him."

"This underling was an arrogant fool and got himself sealed along with the beast inside of you. This threw off Madara's plans because he needed that underling to set them in motion. He searched for a new underling, and found Honoka."

She looked at Menma. "Uchiha Honoka died during the Kyūbi attack. However, her control over Izanagi allowed her to change that. Normally Izanagi's effects are temporary and allow one to ignore fatal injuries while it is active. A brief control of reality. Honoka's allowed a permanent altering of her own reality. That night as she lay dying in the road she wished for nothing more than to live."

She paused to pull out a kunai and plunge it into her heart. "That night she accidentally and permanently altered her own reality into that of something that can never die."

"Does her Izanagi er... your Izanagi not blind you?" Menma asked.

Honoka removed the kunai before she reached up and plucked out one of her eyes. She dropped it and let it shatter on the floor.

"Glass eye?"

"I could have replaced the eye with a normal one but I decided to wait-" She walked over to Nagato and plucked out one of his eyes before placing it in a tube filled with liquid. "for this."

Menma frowned. "What is Madara's plan? Why are you helping him?"

Honoka frowned herself. "The night of Kyūbi's attack Madara captured me and took me away. He didn't realize at the time that I wasn't dead. It was quite the surprise for him when I woke later. I stayed and learned of his plans for about a month before returning to Konoha. My parents had survived the attack."

Her face twisted into an ugly snarl. "They didn't even realize I was gone. They didn't bury me, they didn't search for me, they simply forgot me."

"I stopped caring after that. I still did my duties but I stopped trying to make people notice me. Years passed..." She looked down at Menma with a soft expression on her face. "And I found a little boy, starving. I was confused at first. I couldn't figure out why such a cute little boy could starve, so I followed him. Everyone ignored him. Everyone acted like he didn't exist. I was shocked. I had found someone just like me. A kindred spirit. I took him in. I fed him. I trained him. I raised him to be just like I wanted."

She sighed. "But things weren't easy. I saw how people continued to ignore him and it made me angry. My parents forced me into marrying that _pig._ And Danzō just had to go and kill off the clan. I decided then that if the world didn't need us, then we didn't need the world. Madara picked the wrong woman to act as his puppet. He can stay rotting in the afterlife, the world will burn."

She turned to Menma then. "Join me! Help me destroy everything!"

"In case you hadn't noticed I'm not immortal. If you destroy the world I'll die too." He motioned down to the bleeding wound he had his hand clamped over as his vision swam. "Actually... I think I've lost too much blood..."

Honoka nodded. "It will take me a few days to transplant and heal so we can worry about your mortality during that time."

Footsteps could be heard echoing up the passage behind them. "I... kind of like the world the way it is. I have people that acknowledge me now," Menma said, his head lolling.

"I see..." She walked over to him and placed a hand on his cheek. "You were the only one to acknowledge me and learn about me on your own. For that, I'll save Konoha for last. I'll also leave his other eye. I hope you change your mind before I arrive."

She let him drop to the floor and walked out of the room before the approaching person arrived.

Tayuya burst into the room shortly after and rushed over to Menma's side. "He's in here, hurry up!"

Menma just managed to point to Nagato and mutter "Eye." before he passed out.

* * *

_(Konoha)_

It had been a week since the rescue mission in Ame.

Most of the team had returned with relatively minor injuries. After Nagato's death the paths all dropped like the lifeless puppets they were, leaving the full Konoha team to deal with Konan and Zetsu. Both of which were dealt with rather quickly.

Menma lay in a hospital bed unconscious. No one could figure out what was wrong, not even Tsunade. His wounds were all fully healed, he just wouldn't wake up. They had thought it was some sort of jutsu but there was no evidence to support it.

Tayuya hadn't left his side during that time. Sasuke also spent a great deal of time with him. With the way Menma had coughed and lay still after getting hit with Sasuke's shuriken and the later taunting by the Path that he was fighting against, Sasuke had thought he had killed his friend. He had unlocked his Mangekyō because of it.

After learning of the dangers of using it from Itachi and forcing him into revealing how bad his eyesight was, Sasuke had demanded they swap eyes immediately. It had restored Itachi's sight and given them both the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan.

Sasuke's was a red six pointed star on a black background with a smaller black three point star in the center.

Itachi's was similar, although the colors were reverse. The entire thing also had a curve to it, like his regular Mangekyō, making it look like a shuriken rather than a star.

* * *

_(Konoha Main Gate)_

Tsunade had just been called down to the gate by a messenger telling her something important was happening.

Standing outside their gates was a sea of people. Most of them were obviously civilian but there were some ninja in there as well. They all wore the same forehead protector, two rocks sitting next to each other.

One of the ninja, a jōnin by the looks of it, stepped forward to speak to Tsunade. "Hokage-sama! Please, allow us to take refuge in your village!"

"Why should I allow a bunch of Iwa nin and civilians into Konoha? What happened? Why are you here?"

The ninja nodded and took a deep breath to calm himself. "Iwagakure was attacked. A giant black monster with ten tails and a single red eye came out of nowhere and attacked. We were powerless before it. None of our attacks seemed to even hurt the creature."

The man paused and looked down. "Th... the Tsuchikage died fighting against it to buy us some time to evacuate. It knocked over mountains and crushed entire sections of the village like it was nothing! It's chakra... poisoned the air around it, killing anything that got within range!"

He collapsed into a bow in front of Tsunade. "You have to let us in! We have nowhere else to go!"

"Why Konoha? Why not Suna or Kumo? You're on fairly friendly terms with them, aren't you? Better than Konoha at least," Tsunade replied.

"When we were forced to evacuate we didn't have time to bring everything we needed. We would never have survived a trip across the desert into Suna. The beast... left to the east after the attack. It's probably headed for Kumo as we speak."

"If the beast has left why don't you return and repair the village?"

"I told you, its chakra is poisonous. The land around the creature died as it walked past. It toppled the mountains and smashed the village. The buildings were destroyed. The people were all killed. We're all that's left."

Tsunade paused and looked over the people gathered in front of her and frowned.

"Please! We have nothing to return to! Iwagakure no Sato... is gone."

* * *

**End Chapter 25**

**A/N:**

This marks the start of the final arc for this story. Not quite as long and epic as some of the stories I've read, but hey, it's my first time. I can't imagine there being more than 5 chapters left, but we'll see how it goes.

(1) I forgot to add this earlier. The website I looked Honoka up on said it meant faint or indistinct. If it's not, just pretend it is so I feel better about believing some random website.


	27. Miasma

**Felicity Dream: **Yeah, I realized that I was shooting myself in the foot with the pairing thing. I did mention it was a sort-of/pseudo pairing, but I still need time to set things up for it. I was going to have it run for a few more chapters but cut it short to get it worked in. It'll be rough, but oh well.

I'll likely leave the story the way it is, even after I finish. Even if it's really rough and shitty in parts it still shows me what I need to work on in the future. I have a couple ideas that I would like to see turned into stories and might write another or two if I get them fleshed out enough, one of them being a Hyōton Naru/FemHaku pairing. That's the most likely to get written next at this point.

Menma's attachment to Honoka being stronger than others is intentional. It's not romantic in any way(for him at least).

**acid: **Thanks. I'll keep up my mediocre work, no problem.

**bossb85:** You mean to the village? The village might find out eventually.

**Homarid: **Another instance of my twisting canon abilities to fit my needs. Yay for AU abusing. I had plans for making Honoka an important figure way back in like chapter 5 or so. Originally it was going to be Madara but that's just normal and boring.

* * *

**Chapter 26**

_(Konoha)_

"Please! We have nothing to return to! Iwagakure no Sato... is gone."

Tsunade sighed and turned to the messenger that had brought her to the gate. "Summon all available ANBU."

It didn't take long before ANBU members started showing up. The commander arrived almost immediately so Tsunade turned to him. "We're going to have an influx of refugees. Put them up in one of the abandoned sections of the village. I want two teams to head for Iwa immediately to verify their story. The rest will be watching over the refugees to make sure they don't get into anything they shouldn't."

Tsunade eyed the Iwa ninja. "Make sure the teams sent are cautious. If it's a trap tell them to return immediately. If they were telling the truth, the area is poisonous. Either way it will be dangerous."

"Yes ma'am!" Moments later two teams rushed out the gates for Iwa. The rest of the gathering ANBU were assigned guard shifts and began escorting groups of people to where they would be staying.

Civilians were let in a bit easier, once their names were registered they were allowed in. The Iwa ninja went through a bit more involved process. Name, rank, and skills were recorded, as well as their residence one they decided on a location within the area they were allowed. Most of them chose an abandoned section separate from the section the civilians chose.

Tsunade looked at the Hokage monument as she returned to her office and frowned. Iwa civilians and ninja in Konoha, the home of one of their greatest enemies. She could already feel the paperwork doubling.

'_That brat ran Sound for a while. I wonder if he has any tricks for doing paperwork.'_

* * *

_(Hospital)_

Tayuya stood blocking Sasuke from entering Menma's room. He had just opened the door and stepped inside when she jumped up and rushed over to block him.

"Why are you here? This is all your fault, you know?! If you hadn't thrown that stupid little toy of yours he would be fine!"

Sasuke looked at the floor guiltily.

"Actually," a voice croaked out from behind Tayuya causing her and Sasuke to jerk towards it. "If we blame anyone, it should be Akatsuki for pulling Kurama out of me."

Tayuya rushed over to his bedside and smacked him upside the head. "Do you have any idea how worried we've been?!"

Menma gave her a flat look. "Not worried enough if you're smacking a man in a hospital bed."

Sasuke walked over to the bed, his face disbelieving. "You're... really ok?"

Menma waited for him to reach his bedside before punching him weakly in the stomach. "Next time you throw a shuriken at me I'm setting you on fire with Amaterasu."

Sasuke struggled to keep a smile on his face. "I... thought I killed you."

Menma waved him off and turned to Tayuya. "Yeah, yeah."

Sasuke grabbed a fist full of his clothing and jerked him back towards him, his Eternal Mangekyō activated. "I'm serious, damn it!"

Menma blinked at seeing the eyes. "You really..." Menma shook his head. "You won't kill me that easily."

Sasuke stared at him for a minute before nodding and walking towards the door. "I guess I should tell everyone you're awake." He paused at the door and looked back at them with a smirk. "I suppose I can wait an hour first though." He walked out and shut the door before they could respond.

As Tayuya flushed and sputtered Menma turned to her with a look of mock horror. "You're not really going to take advantage of a sick person, are you?"

Tayuya slumped into the chair next to his bed. "Ugh, shut up."

"How long have I been out?" Menma asked.

"It's been a little over a week now," Tayuya replied. "Things have been... strange. A huge group of Iwa people arrived in the village."

"A week? That's all? I thought it would have been longer."

Just then the door swung open revealing a masked cyclops and a pink-haired girl. "Yo," Kakashi said lazily.

"So much for an hour," Tayuya muttered.

Menma turned to her with a smirk. "Oh? You were looking forward to that huh? Maybe he was trying to get us caught in an awkward situation."

Kakashi grinned under his mask. "I can come back after you've started if you'd like."

The other three stared at him awkwardly in silence.

"Right, well, how are you feeling?" Kakashi asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"As well as one can after going through two lifetimes of memories," Menma replied with a frown. "Orochimaru's were... unpleasant." The phantom feeling of something wriggling under his skin came back and he scratched at his arms.

Menma looked back at Kakashi. "Ah, that reminds me. I... know something that you probably won't like, Kakashi."

Kakashi just stared at him blankly.

"You heard about how some Uchiha guy got sealed inside of me when Kurama attacked and that's how I got the Sharingan, right?"

"I might have heard about it," Kakashi replied, pulling out a book.

"I know who it was."

"And who might that be?" Kakashi asked as he looked up from his book briefly.

Menma frowned and activated his Mangekyō and stared at Kakashi. Kakashi dropped his book in shock. "That's..."

Menma nodded. "Obito's eye, just like yours. Remembering being smashed under a ton of rock wasn't fun."

"Remembering?" Kakashi asked, bending to retrieve his book from the floor.

"Yeah... I didn't actually live through it, of course, I'm not Obito, but... I have his memories so it's still like 'remembering' it. I didn't live through any of it, but it feels like I did. It's hard to explain."

"Hmm, you're sure it's Obito? Maybe-"

"Tea country, what did 'she' say to call her again? Nanashi?" Menma said with a wicked grin.

Kakashi dropped his book a second time and paled. "You... I... that was supposed to be buried for good when Obito died!"

"All that Sakura-like stuff in your apartment makes sense now. It's all about as far as you can get from 'Nanashi' as possible," Menma said, his grin growing wider.

"Sakura-like stuff in his apartment?" Sakura chose that moment to cut in while glaring at Kakashi suspiciously.

"A..ha..ha... it's nothing. I have to go feed my goldfish." Kakashi grabbed his book and rushed out of the room.

"You don't have goldfish!" Sakura shouted as she chased after him.

Tayuya looked at him curiously after the other two ran out.

"He always tried to act cool but failed pretty miserably when he was younger," he explained. "Some of those memories are very amusing. Also, his apartment is filled with pictures and dolls of flat-chested pink-haired girls."

"Isn't he like twice her age?" Tayuya asked.

"Yep. I don't think he's really all that interested in her. It's just him trying to forget something traumatic," Menma stretched and lay back. "You mind playing something relaxing while we wait? I imagine that old drunk will be along to discharge me eventually."

About an hour later Tsunade had stopped by and released him. She was busy though, and had ordered him to return in the morning for some testing.

The two walked slowly around the village. Menma looked around curiously, it hadn't changed very much since the last time he was here. Physically, it hadn't changed. The 'spirit' if he could call it that, had definitely changed. Rather than people ignoring him like he didn't exist, they approached him. They shook his hand and thanked him for everything he had done. They apologized for the way they had treated him during his earlier years. Old women hugged him while bawling about how sorry they were. Children stared at him with admiration in their eyes. It was all very unsettling for Menma.

His life had been nothing but the majority of people avoiding him. First in Konoha where everyone either blamed him for the death and destruction Kurama had caused, or shunned him to fit in with their peers. Then Sound where he was avoided out of fear, first as Orochimaru's apprentice, then as the man himself.

He frowned and muttered as they finally found a break in the crowds. "What the hell is going on here? I know Itachi and I were pardoned but... this is..."

Tayuya shrugged. "They acted the same way when we arrived with Itachi. Ask duckass, he'll probably know."

Menma gave her a flat look. "Fine, fine! Ask Sasuke."

Eventually they reached a rundown apartment complex. "Wow. I didn't think Konoha even had buildings this bad. Who would live in a dump like this?"

"I did," Menma said as he moved through the doors.

Tayuya stood in shock for a moment. '_He did? Why didn't he live in that fancy Uchiha area?'_

When they reached a certain door he stopped and ran his fingers over the nameplate that still had his name on it. He pushed open the door and walked into the apartment.

Tayuya followed in behind him and looked around. Most of the place and the furniture in it was run down. Occasionally she would find something that was in far better shape than normal. "Why is some of your stuff better than the rest?"

Menma smiled. "Honoka-sensei. Any time something of mine would fall apart beyond repair she would suddenly decide that she wanted a new item of the exact same thing that broke. She would then pass her 'old useless junk' on to me."

Tayuya sat down on the bed and frowned. "I thought Kakashi was your teacher."

"Honoka was my teacher long before I met Kakashi. She trained me before I entered the academy," he replied running his hand over an old paralysis seal sitting on a desk. '_Five seconds. I can't believe I was so pleased with that back then.'_

"So why live here? Why not with Honoka or in that fancy Uchiha section?"

"I wasn't recognized as Uchiha until Sasuke decided to bring me into the clan shortly before I left for Sound. I don't think the papers ever went through, so I'm probably still technically just 'Menma' as far as the law is concerned."

He paused and frowned. "As for living with Honoka... she never offered and I didn't want to destroy the only connection I had to someone else."

Tayuya looked at him questioningly so he elaborated. "When I lived in the orphanage everyone would act like I didn't exist. When I stole clothes from the other kids to keep myself clothed they acted as if the clothes had just vanished, and replaced them. When I would line up for my food they would just sit there staring ahead until one of the other kids shoved me aside for their food, then they would begin serving again."

He stared out the window blankly. "When Honoka-sensei found me I was having a rough time finding food and had collapsed in the street from starvation. There weren't many people around, and those that did walk past walked around me. She was probably the first person to interact with me."

"I... acted pretty stupid when I first met her, and asked her to train me to be a ninja. After she took me back to the orphanage I was afraid I'd never see her again. That night when I found her waiting just like she said she would... I vowed I would never ask her for anything ever again." He waved a hand at one of the nicer objects Tayuya had asked about earlier without turning away from the window. "That's probably why she acted the way she did with that stuff."

Tayuya remained silently for a while. "It must have been tough, being ignored like that," she said quietly.

"Only at first," Menma replied, surprising her. "Originally I wanted everyone to acknowledge me like she had." He turned around to face Tayuya. "But as I watched Honoka-sensei I began to think differently. What was so different about me? Why did I have to try so hard to be accepted? Why did I have to push myself just to reach the point that everyone else started at?"

He turned back to the window and the setting sun. "Honoka-sensei didn't seem to care about other people. If they didn't acknowledge her, she didn't acknowledge them. I began to think the same way. After that, it wasn't so hard anymore. I had Honoka, who was like a mother to me. She was all I needed."

'_I had no idea. I thought people living in Konoha all had it nice and easy.' _Tayuya frowned.

'_She was all I needed... and now she's trying to destroy everything. How do I react to that?' _Menma shook his head before walking over to the desk and sitting down. "You're welcome to stay here tonight."

"What?" Tayuya blinked.

Menma turned and smirked at her. "Well you did seem disappointed about us not having that hour alone." Menma turned back to his desk and prepared some scrolls and ink. "I mean, I don't sleep much anyways, so..."

Tayuya had blushed at first, but smirked once his back was turned. '_Two can play at that game, shithead.'_ She leaned back on the bed and tried to act nonchalant. "Alright."

"What?" Menma jerked around to look at her.

"I said alright. I'll stay here tonight."

"Uh... ok." He turned back to his scrolls and mentally cursed. '_I had that one coming.'_

* * *

_(Outskirts of Iwa)_

The two ANBU teams had scouted Iwa and returned to a single point.

"We couldn't get any closer because of that black... miasma. That must be the poison we were told about," one of the masked individuals reported.

"We were able to find a vantage point that overlooked the village. Or... what was the village. They were right, the terrain has completely changed. It's like the whole village was crushed under the mountains. There's nothing left," another voice added.

The ANBU that was obviously in charge turned to look towards the ruined village. A black fog like substance hung low on the ground, killing everything within it. A few mostly destroyed buildings were visible, but most of it was crushed underneath hundreds of tons of rock and earth.

"It seems they were telling the truth. We need to return and report this to the Hokage," the commander said. The two groups quickly vanished on their way towards Konoha.

The commander looked briefly at the trail of destruction heading east, most likely towards Kumo, just like they had reported.

'_Where will it head after it destroys Kumo?'_ He thought, before following after the others.

* * *

**End Chapter 26**

**A/N:**

The reason behind Kakashi's shrine revealed! Or something. His first 'adult experience' was with a busty and curvy trap named Nanashi. Poor Kakashi.

Iwa's destruction confirmed and more repeating of Menma's past. I hope I'm explaining his thought process well enough.


	28. Miasma 2

**ero-sennin56: **You find out this chapter.

**serialkeller: **Remember he just woke up from a week long coma where he 'lived' through the memories of both Obito and Orochimaru. What happens with the Rinnegan is explained this chapter.

**Felicity Dream: **Never seen/read anything related to Inuyasha myself. It's just something I wanted to do for this story. I know what you were getting at with Menma/Honoka, don't worry. Pulling your strings though, hmm? Maybe, maybe not. I hope it bothers you until a later chapter where I address it, heh.

And finally, Hyōton Naru/FemHaku - seriously? I tried doing a search for Hyōton/Hyoton/Ice Release and none of the stories I found were more than like 50k words or 5 chapters. (And most were updated years ago) If you can tell me a couple decent ones so I can check them out, I'd appreciate it.

**Homarid: **She only heard "Sakura-like" last chapter. You'll find out what happens this chapter.

**Foxstar: **Don't sweat it. I'm glad to get any review. It doesn't have to be per chapter.

**Digitize27: **Holy shit. I just started reading your "Yellow and Red makes" story the other day. It makes mine look pathetic. I'm only about 20 chapters in so far, but I'm liking it. I'll have to submit a review when I finish it.

* * *

**Chapter 27**

_(Menma's Apartment)_

Menma sat at his desk staring at a sleeping Tayuya as light from the window creeped slowly closer to her face. He had spent the night writing down all the techniques he had picked up from going through Orochimaru's and Obito's memories. Tayuya had stayed the night, just like she said she would.

He was currently trying to decide if he wanted to prank her or not. He had a prank in mind, but he was sure it would piss her off worse than anything he'd seen before. Would he risk a beating to get back at her for calling his bluff last night?

Yes. Yes, he would.

He quickly drew up a seal to block memories. The memory seal was intentionally made weak, so she could remember bits and pieces but not everything that happened last night.

After applying the seal he stripped Tayuya of clothing and threw it about the room haphazardly. After that was finished he pulled out a kunai and cut his hand, letting the blood drip onto the sheets. Satisfied with his work, he pulled the blankets back over her and left to go meet with Tsunade for the testing he needed done.

He was so busy thinking over what he had seen of Tayuya, he made sure to avert his eyes when he reached her lower half, that he didn't even notice the fire in another section of town.

* * *

_(Konoha Hospital)_

Tsunade was having a bad day, and the day had barely started! An apartment complex had burned down overnight. When the ninja investigating tracked the source of the fire they found it originated in the apartment of one Hatake Kakashi.

Said ninja had been brought to the hospital this morning as a mass of bruised and bloody flesh and broken bone. He refused to tell them who had caused it so she had ninja out scouring the village for the ninja that beat the hell out of him without any trouble.

Sakura had visited her first thing in the morning trying to get transferred to another team. When she had refused the girl then tried to get a restraining order placed on Kakashi.

Now she had some red-head blabbering on about Menma and eyes. She wanted to strangle the girl, but she was one of Menma's underlings. He wasn't the type to keep useless people around so she was probably important in some way.

She was just about to throw the girl out a window when they heard some rather girlish screams coming from just outside. The sounds of righteous feminine fury being unleashed upon a male.

When they walked out the main doors of the hospital they saw Tayuya slashing at Menma with a kunai. She managed to catch him in his left eye just as they approached.

Menma staggered backwards with a hand clamped over his bleeding eye and let out a string of curses. "Damnit, Tayuya, it was a prank! You just blinded me over a prank!"

Tayuya looked mortified before she saw Tsunade and Karin approaching. Karin clutched a small vial to her chest that carried the eye Menma had told her about when he was passing out in Pein's tower. Relaxing a bit she turned to Menma. "Or, relax, you big baby. The old drunk can heal you, and if not, I made sure we got that eye you wanted so you'll be able to see again in no time."

Menma glared at her before turning to Karin and Tsunade. "Yeah, well, it would have been nice to keep the one eye that was mine."

Tsunade walked over and ran a diagnostic on his eye. "This eye is useless now. If you want to see again you have no choice but to replace it." She turned a glare to Tayuya. "I'm all for punishing men when they do something stupid, girl, but you should never leave permanent damage like this."

"But he... he!" She held up a piece of cloth that was obviously torn from a larger piece. The cloth had a blood stain on it.

"Ugh... you destroyed my sheet too?" Menma groaned out.

Tsunade snatched the cloth and used her diagnostic again. Shortly after she tossed it back to Tayuya. "It's not your blood."

"But it was-"

"Do you have a penis?"

Tayuya flushed. "No!"

"Then it's not yours." She turned and grabbed both Menma and Karin by the arms. "Let's go get that eye replaced."

Tayuya stood in shock as the three walked away. Menma called back over his shoulder as they left. "I cut my hand. I told you it was a prank."

Tayuya was torn. She'd blinded him over a prank, but still, she woke naked. "Serves him right for looking," she muttered. She sighed shortly after. "No, it doesn't..."

* * *

Menma frowned as he sat in a hospital bed once again. The surgery had gone well enough and he now had a new eye, but it would take three days before he could get the bandage removed and actually use it. Now that he had some free time he could practice the skills he learned from the memories of the two men.

Using that intangibility of Obito's would have been helpful. He wouldn't have lost his eye if he could do that. He frowned and pulled out a kunai and focused. He stabbed at his hand.

"Tch," he frowned when the blade stabbed into him. He wiped the blood off and tried again. It happened the same way several more times before it passed harmlessly through his hand. Remembering how it felt he began to test it out on every area of his body. Satisfied he had learned it well enough he decided to try the other part of Kamui.

He snuck out of the bed and peeked out into the hallway. He had been kept overnight and would probably be forced to stay in the hospital for another two days until Tsunade decided his eye was ready. He snorted. They could keep a normal ninja trapped in the hospital until he was healed, but a teleporting ninja?

He focused and the world swirled around him. The next moment he found himself standing in his bathroom. "Hah! Trap that!" He registered the sound of two things then just then. The sound of running water, and the sound of something dropping.

He slowly turned around to find Tayuya in his shower. She had just dropped the bar of soap and was staring at him in shock. "Ah... I didn't..." He remembered his intangibility the moment before the kunai passed through his right eye. "Ahhhh! YOU ALMOST BLINDED ME AGAIN!"

"GET OUT!" Tayuya roared at him.

Menma dove through the wall as another kunai, this one aimed much lower, flew at him.

Menma stood in his kitchen contemplating something very important. "Where did the kunai come from?" It lasted all of about five seconds before an angry Tayuya stomped out of the bathroom clad in a towel.

She tried everything she could to harm him, but it all passed through him harmlessly. "I learned a new skill, by the way. Also, if you keep it up you're going to lose that towel." He pointed to the towel about to come undone.

She growled and grabbed it to make sure it didn't fall. "Twice! In as many days! You're going to die for this!"

"Actually, only once. I made sure not to look when I was setting up the prank," Menma calmly told her.

"Bullshit! If you really did only pull a prank why can't I remember last night?"

Menma reached out and broke the memory seal. "It really was just a prank. Nothing happened, you don't have to worry."

Tayuya glared at him before stomping back into the bathroom and slamming the door.

"Yeesh, that girl is crazy."

"I heard that!"

Menma stiffened and quickly used Kamui to escape before she could attack him again. "Such a handy ability. What perverts everywhere wouldn't give for this."

* * *

_(Konoha Main Gate)_

Tsunade had been called to the gate once again. This time she found a sea of people from Kumo standing outside. The Raikage was alive, but severely wounded.

Tsunade turned to the messenger. "Get me all available ANBU again."

When the first ANBU started arriving she turned to the people carrying the Raikage on a stretcher. "Follow these ANBU, they'll escort you to the hospital." She then turned to her ANBU. "Make sure he gets taken care of. I'll be along to heal him myself once I finish up here."

After the ANBU left she turned to the commander. "Same process as last time. Get them all recorded and put them in the abandoned sections. If you keep them in the same sections as Iwa we won't have to post any additional guards."

"Won't that cause conflicts?" The commander asked.

"I don't care. They're allowed to stay here by our good will. Make sure they all know that if they cause problems they can get the hell out," Tsunade said before turning and heading to the hospital.

* * *

_(Konoha Hospital)_

It had taken many hours to save the Raikage. He was crippled and his career as a ninja was over, but he was alive.

Two days had passed since then. Tsunade had arrived at the hospital to remove Menma's bandages over his eye and to meet with a now conscious Raikage.

Menma, curious as to why Tsunade looked so grim, had followed after her.

"Yeah... a giant black beast with ten tails. You've heard of it?" The Raikage asked.

"Yes. We have Iwa refugees here as well. They arrived a week or two ago. They were the first hit by the beast. Did it wipe out your village like it did Iwa?"

The Raikage growled. "Yes. Argh, I want to smash something!"

Tsunade smirked before sliding a small bedside table over within his reach.

The Raikage looked at her curiously before bringing a hand down to smash the table. He then lifted a chunk with his one good hand and threw it through the nearby window.

"I was fine with the table, but I'll have you pay for that window," Tsunade told him.

The Raikage grunted. "It made me feel better. I'm not sure how long it took us to get here, but you should probably warn Kiri. It was headed their direction when it left."

Tsunade frowned. "By the time a bird flew out there it could be under attack already." She bit her thumb. If that thing kept destroying villages how long before it attacked Konoha?

Tsunade nodded. "You should be able to leave in a couple of days. I'll tell your people you can have visitors now."

She called for the same two ANBU teams she had sent to Iwa as she left for her office.

* * *

_(Hokage's Office)_

"As you're aware, Kumo has been attacked by the same creature that attacked and destroyed Iwa. The Raikage has told me that Kumo was destroyed, but I would like you to confirm just like you did in Iwa," Tsunade explained. "Look for the same signs you found in Iwa. I want to be sure this is the same creature. If it is, you know what to expect." Tsunade frowned and looked out the window. "That is all, dismissed."

The ANBU teams quickly vanished to carry out their mission.

Tsunade turned back to her desk and quickly wrote down a letter. "I hope the message gets to them in time," she muttered as she finished and stood.

Menma phased through the wall when she stood. "I can deliver it immediately."

Tsunade jumped as he appeared out of the wall like a ghost. "Menma?!" She shook her head. "I'm sending it via bird. A ninja won't arrive in time."

Menma shook his head. "You don't understand. I can teleport now. Like the Hiraishin only without the kunai. I can deliver the message _immediately._"

Tsunade stared at him for a moment. "You heard everything?" Menma nodded. "Be careful. If the creature attacks while you're there I want you to return immediately. Understood?"

Menma nodded and took the scroll. "I'll be back soon." With a whirl of distortion, he was gone.

Tsunade shook her head and turned to look out the window. "I hope he makes it in time."

* * *

_(Water Country - Outside Kirigakure)_

Menma was confused. He had wanted to teleport to Kiri but somehow managed to teleport himself to a hellish landscape.

Thick black smoke blotted out the sky making it as dark as night. Geysers of lava erupted from the dead earth and fires lit up the area, giving everything an eerie red glow. The ground was scorched and dry. The earth was shaking and groaning like it was trying to tear itself apart.

"What the hell?" Menma shouted, staggering and trying to keep his footing. "Did I die and get dragged into the Underworld by those two assholes?"

Hearing an unusual sound he turned to see the ocean. He watched as a huge wave crashed into a fleet of ships fleeing into the open sea and capsize them. People and chunks of wood littered the surface of the water. He saw countless fins slicing the water surface and that was when the screams began. He turned away as the water began to turn red.

He grit his teeth and dashed forward. Eventually he came upon a thick black fog coating the ground. He instinctively knew to avoid it and jumped up to higher ground. The progress was slow as he would have to stop and cling to whatever he was on every time the shaking got really bad.

Eventually he came across what had to be the village itself. It seemed the further he got into the village the lower and lower the ground dropped. In the center, he saw something he couldn't comprehend.

A massive black beast stood in the center of the village. The black fog seemed to be pouring out of the creature. Buildings decayed and toppled down towards the beast, like people falling forward in worship of some dark god. Ten massive tendrils waved lazily from the base of the creature's spine as it stared down with a single red eye.

A lone woman with long auburn hair and wearing a blue dress leapt from building to building as they crumpled, spewing out streams of lava at the beast. Finally, the buildings had run out, and she stood on the last, staring up defiantly. As the building began to topple forward the beast raised up its arm and brought it crashing down.

Menma jumped forward as he activated Kamui. His thoughts as he hoped he made it in time were of a certain girl back in Konoha.

'_Tayuya is going to kill me if I die here. Then again, she'll kill me if I bring home a woman I saved too. I'm screwed either way.'_

The beast waited for the dust to clear. When nothing happened it turned and headed southwest, out of the village.

* * *

Two figures stood watching from afar on one of the few remaining bits of raised ground. As the beast slowly walked away from the village they turned to the sound of rushing water. The ocean was moving in to wash everything away as the land continued to break up and sink into the sea.

The younger of the two frowned and spoke quietly. "She wasn't kidding when she said she would destroy the world."

The older of the duo sighed. "This is the end of Kirigakure. I made a terrible Mizukage."

Menma jerked and turned towards the woman. "You're the Mizukage?"

The woman smiled at him. "That's right. Terumī Mei, Godaime Mizukage."

Menma frowned. "Ah, sorry. I had a message for you but..." he waved a hand at the sinking island. "it came a little too late. We should return to Konoha."

"You're a Konoha ninja?"

Menma frowned and brought a hand up to his forehead. '_That's right, Sasuke never gave it back. He's probably holding it hostage to make me move back into the compound.'_ He nodded. "Yeah. Ah, you mind? We should go before we sink into the sea along with your village."

Mei took one last look at her sinking village. "I hope others survived."

Menma laid a hand on her shoulder and the two vanished in a whirl of distortion.

* * *

**End Chapter 27**

**A/N:**

Three villages gone with Kiri's destruction being the most violent so far.

If you guys want to read a good Naru/Tayuya story go check out Digitize27's "Yellow and Red makes". (S)he has done a much better job at writing Tayuya than I have.


	29. Miasma 3

**Foxstar: **Overpowered? He'll be facing off against someone with the same strength as well as the Jūbi under her control. I'd say he's probably just about right. For the Six Paths, if you're talking about the actual abilities? He'll pick up one or two. If you're talking about using bodies with the abilities like Pein did? No. For the same reason he doesn't use Edo Tensei. He doesn't like messing with the dead. As far as his Sharingan, no he isn't going blind from using it.

**stone20: **If you've made it this far. Samehada is gone. Destroyed by Amaterasu or just abandoned on the field. It wasn't important to the story so I didn't bother to think about what happened to it.

* * *

**Chapter 28**

_(Hokage's Office)_

As Menma and Mei appeared in Tsunade's office she turned around to stare at them curiously. "I send you to deliver a message and you return with a new girlfriend?"

Menma gave her a flat stare. "This is the Mizukage."

"The Mizukage?" Tsunade looked Mei over. "What are you doing here?"

"Kiri has been destroyed. Your ninja here was kind enough to rescue me." Mei said with a smile. "And since I'm here, I'd like to request asylum for myself and anyone else from Kiri that arrives."

Tsunade frowned. "A third village entering Konoha? What makes you think it won't attack here next?"

"It won't," Menma frowned. "She's saving Konoha for last."

"She? She who?" Tsunade asked. Mei looked at him curiously as well.

"The woman behind that beast, Uchiha Honoka," he said looking down at the floor. "The woman that basically raised me."

Tsunade signalled to an ANBU to go gather the file on the woman. Menma shook his head. "It won't help you much. She was like me."

Tsunade knew what he was talking about immediately. His file barely contained anything in it. Even for his accomplishments, hardly anything was recorded at all. "How do you know she's behind this?"

"She was there when they removed Kurama," he replied. "She was the one that left this eye for me to take," he frowned. "Which reminds me, if you can get me any information we have on the Rikudō Sennin or his abilities I would have a better chance at figuring out what the eye does."

Tsunade nodded and sent another ANBU to gather the information he needed. "So why is she doing this?"

Menma paused before looking over towards the window. "She... hates everyone that didn't acknowledge her. She hates the world, so, she wants to destroy it."

The first ANBU returned with her file and handed it to Tsunade before vanishing. Tsunade looked at the file and frowned. Menma had been right, it had her basic information and nothing more. '_With these numbers there should be at least _some _notes on the woman herself.' _Tsunade bit her thumb.

Menma gave her a sad smile. "We should warn Suna."

"I've already sent a messenger bird." The second ANBU returned with a storage scroll full of scrolls and books for Menma. Before he could leave Tsunade spoke up. "Bring me the Raikage and whoever Iwa has chosen to lead them. Mizukage-same, if you would remain we have some things to discuss. Menma, you're dismissed."

Menma warped out of the office and onto the top of the Hokage Monument. His gaze drifted to a section of town that used to be abandoned. It was bustling with life now but still seemed peaceful. '_The Iwa and Kumo people are getting along, huh?'_

His gaze swept over the village stopping at certain points. His apartment where Tayuya was staying. The hotel where the rest of his 'Sound Four' were living. The smoking crater that used to be Kakashi's apartment complex and the hospital where he was currently recovering from an angry pink-haired girl. The Uchiha district where Sasuke and Itachi were.

He shook his head and sat down, pulling out the storage scroll to start reading. By the time he finished the sun was setting and the moon was visible on the horizon. Menma stood and stretched, staring at the moon. '_The story said he sealed it inside of the moon. Obviously the legend is a lie or they found a way around it.'_

He warped to his apartment to find Tayuya preparing dinner. "Hey, Tayuya, how do you kill something that can't be killed?"

"I don't know. Seal it?"

Menma frowned, he didn't really want to do that either, it was just delaying the problem rather than solving it. "If you can't seal it?"

"Lock it up somewhere no one will ever find it."

"That didn't exactly work the fi-" he paused mid-sentence and looked out the window at the moon. '_He only did the job halfway...'_

"Figure it out?" Tayuya asked him, bringing the food over to the table.

"I might have," he replied. '_If it's possible... and I can manage it.'_

He moved over to the table and sat down before looking at the food questioningly.

"I felt like it," she said. "Don't get used to it though, it won't happen again."

Menma nodded. "Thanks."

The two ate in comfortable silence. Afterwards Tayuya played her flute for a while before retiring for the evening.

Menma sat at his desk thinking over his idea. He had confirmed it with parts of his dinner. He felt a little guilty over that, but he ate most of it, so it was alright. He thought over the abilities he had seen while fighting Pein and what he'd read about the Rikudō Sennin. '_Repelling and attracting. Creating the moon. Gravity? _He focused on his desk for a moment before it slid slightly scraping across the floor.

Menma quickly cut the technique and glanced over as Tayuya grumbled and rolled over in her sleep. Menma let out a breath he had been holding before warping to a training ground.

He dropped a kunai into the dirt before walking away from it. "Let's try that again without a violent redhead trying to sleep nearby." He focused again. The kunai wiggled a bit before it came ripping towards him. His eyes widened as he dove out of the way, realizing what he had done. The kunai blew past him and through several trees before burying itself in the ground.

Menma got up while dusting himself off. "Pulling sharp pointy objects at yourself. Genius." He pulled off his shirt and dropped it before walking away to repeat the process.

WHUMP.

"Ok... size matters," he said as the shirt slammed into his face without effort. He frowned as he put the shirt back on before retrieving the kunai. This time he focused on pushing it rather than pulling it.

The kunai once again wiggled a bit before he pushed more chakra into it to send it flying. He spent the next few hours learning how to move objects with gravity. Learning when to cut off the ability to prevent things from smashing into his face. He gradually moved up to larger and heavier objects as time passed.

He decided to take a break and lay down while looking up at the night sky. The moon had already travelled nearly across the entire sky. "I doubt he pulled everything towards him and buried himself with the Jūbi, so how did he do it?"

"I might be able to help with that," a voice said from nearby.

"Sasuke. I was wondering when you were going to find me."

Sasuke nodded and lay down next to him. "I wanted to wait for you to decide to come to us. This isn't about you living with us, though. I heard you were looking for information about the Rikudō Sennin."

"How did you even- no, I don't want to know," Menma replied with a frown.

Sasuke smirked before turning serious. "There's a tablet beneath the Naka Shrine. It tells his story. Itachi and I can't read all of it, even with our new eyes, but it mentions the Rinnegan. You might be able to make out more of it."

Menma stood up before offering a hand to Sasuke. "If this is just a trick to get me into the compound I'm setting you on fire."

Sasuke waved him off. "You already know you're family. You'll come home when you want to."

Menma grunted and followed after him. Sasuke brought him to the tablet before leaving him alone. Several hours later Menma exited the to find Sasuke and an ANBU waiting for him.

"Good timing," Sasuke said jerking a thumb over his shoulder at the ANBU. "The Hokage needs you."

Menma nodded and vanished in a whirl. "Did he just?" Sasuke asked, eyes wide and unblinking.

The ANBU sighed. "Teleport? Yeah, seems he can do that now." The ANBU vanished leaving Sasuke standing alone.

* * *

_(Hokage's Office)_

"You... what?" Menma asked.

"I need you to go get the Kazekage and bring him here," Tsunade repeated herself.

Menma twitched. "You brought me here... to go fetch the Kazekage like some kind of dog?"

"That's right," she grinned at him. "Now hurry up, we don't have all day."

Grumbling Menma vanished. He returned a few minutes later with Gaara. "Kazekage," he said, before stomping out of the room.

"Don't go far! We'll need you to take him home when we're done!"

Menma growled. Teleportation was supposed to be cool, not abused like some kind of delivery service.

He travelled to a nearby training ground to test out what he had read from the tablet. He placed his hands close together and concentrated. Moments later a small back orb the size of a marble appeared and he tossed it away.

As he watched the training ground began to break up and fly into the sphere creating an orb of earth. He grinned until he looked around and realized he had destroyed the training ground and people would see the orb and be along to investigate shortly.

He quickly cut off his chakra flowing into it and looked around. '_No one saw? Good. I didn't do it.'_ He vanished in a whirl before anyone could find out he was the one to wreck the training ground.

He appeared in his apartment right as someone knocked on the door. He opened it to find an ANBU standing there. "Geh. I didn't do it!"

The ANBU cocked his head curiously. "The Hokage needs you again."

'_Damn, how did she find out? It _just _happened.' _He teleported to the Hokage's office leaving behind the same ANBU for the second time that day.

The ANBU twitched. "He could at least take me with him."

* * *

"You can take him back now, we're done with our planning."

Menma twitched violently. "I _just_ brought him here. How can you be done already?!"

"I was already planning something similar to what they proposed," Gaara replied. "By the time your forces arrive in Suna, we'll have everything ready."

Menma looked at Tsunade curiously. "Forces arrive in Suna?"

"We're making a stand in Suna. We'll put that beast down and end this before it destroys anything else," Tsunade said.

Menma nodded before placing a hand on Gaara's shoulder and vanishing with him.

"Raikage! Mizukage! ...Iwa... guy," Tsunade said, looking at each in turn, the last being quite awkward.

The man that had been put in charge by the Iwa members was the same one that spoke to her at the gate. A rather plain and forgettable man. Tsunade wasn't sure if she ever even heard his name.

"Your villages are gone and your countries destroyed. If you wish to make your home in Konoha, now is your chance. Help us and our allies in Suna. Help us stop that monster from destroying everything," Tsunade said, looking at them.

The Raikage jumped to his feet and smashed his chair. "I'll crush that thing! Or... at least send what ninja I have left to help out."

Forgettable-Iwa also stood. "We'll do what it takes to secure our future."

Mei stood with a sad smile. "I'm still waiting for anyone to arrive from Kiri, but I will do what I can."

Tsunade nodded and signalled an ANBU. "Muster the forces. We're travelling to Suna to put a stop to this."

The ANBU, Raikage, and Forgettable-Iwa all left to round up their ninja. Mei bowed slightly before leaving after the others.

Menma reappeared to a mostly empty office then and looked around confused.

"They've gone to gather up ninja. We leave for Suna in the morning. You had better be prepared," Tsunade told him.

He nodded and left with a frown and reappeared in his apartment.

'_What am I going to do about Honoka-sensei?'_

Tayuya paused her flute playing and waved.

'_She never really left after that time I joked about her staying over.' _He looked around the rundown apartment and noticed things had been subtly changing over the past few days. His apartment was showing signs of a feminine touch. Or maybe he should say a tom-boy touch, but still, it fit.

He looked at Tayuya as she calmly played. '_It feels like she belongs here.'_

* * *

**End Chapter 28**

**A/N:**

This chapter was a bit short and felt... off to me. I can't figure out what went wrong, but, oh well. We'll push past it to the last chapter or two.

Forgettable-Iwa. Imagine Gai and Kisame, only it's everyone in the world doing it to Forgettable-Iwa, he's that plain. He's like the background, he's there, but no one notices him.


	30. Miasma 4

serialkeller: Thanks. Poor Forgettable-Iwa getting laughed at.

Foxstar: Wish granted. I just added Tsunade's bit to what I already had planned. It's fairly similar to what you wanted, so it should work.

* * *

Chapter 29

(Suna)

Gaara was finishing up some paperwork when a messenger entered his office. "Kazekage-sama, our allies have arrived." He stood aside to allow Tsunade, Mei, A, and Forgettable-Iwa into his office.

Gaara stared at the last one curiously. "Who is he?"

"I'm the one representing Iwa!" The man cried. "We met in the Hokage's office, remember?"

"No, I don't." Gaara stared at him for a moment before turning to Tsunade. "We've already reinforced the walls. What we'll do next-"

"You won't have time to prepare all the defenses you wanted," a certain white-haired pervert said entering through the window.

"And why not?" Tsunade demanded.

"It's already made landfall. It'll be here faster than you planned for."

"If it had already made landfall I wou-" Gaara was cut off as the door slammed open.

"Kazekage-sama! The monster has already reached our shoreline!"

Jiraiya gave Gaara a knowing smirk. "Thank you, you are dismissed," Gaara told the ninja.

"So what do we do?" Forgettable-Iwa asked.

"Stalling tactics," Tsunade replied. "We send out a force to slow it down while we finish preparing."

Gaara nodded. "The team should be ready to leave in 30 minutes. I'll let you three-"

Forgettable-Iwa cut in with a "Hey!"

"Four, decide who to send."

* * *

30 minutes later the force stood at the gates ready to leave. From Konoha there were both Jiraiya and Tsunade, Itachi, Sasuke, and Menma. From Kiri was Mei. From Suna was Temari and another random kunoichi. From Iwa was Forgettable-Iwa and a dozen other random ninja. From Kumo was Team Samui.

Tsunade looked over the assembled ninja. "Alright, everyone, we need to slow that thing down and buy some time for the defenses to be completed."

The group quickly set out and raced across the desert to meet the beast. Roughly halfway to the coast they found the creature. The towering black beast was making its way towards them quickly. The miasma surrounding it seemed to have reached new heights since the destruction of Kiri. That, combined with the heat haze of the desert made it appear as a giant black cloud approaching them.

"Is that... can we really stop that thing?!" An Iwa ninja asked.

"We can, and we will!" Forgettable-Iwa said jumping forward. "Help me trap it, my brothers and sisters!"

The Iwa ninja all followed him through a sequence of hand seals and held the last one, waiting for the beast to get in range.

"What are you doing?" Mei asked.

"We're going to trap it in a giant earth prison," Forgettable-Iwa replied.

"Will the top be open?" Mei asked. After a nod from Forgettable-Iwa she got an idea and stepped forward as well.

When the beast entered their range the Iwa ninja all slammed their hands to the ground with a shout. With a rumbling four giant slabs of earth raised from the ground around the beast. Mei jumped on top of the one in front of them as it raised and waited for them to finish the jutsu.

Once the technique was finished and the beast was standing inside a box Mei took a deep breath and began to spew out lava, filling the box with the burning liquid.

As the box was filling in she noticed a woman standing on top of the Jūbi staring at her impassively. 'That must be the Uchiha woman the kid talked about.' She adjusted her aim to hit the woman with lava but all of it fell short. No matter what she tried it always dropped down into the box without hitting the woman.

Eventually the box was nearly full and Mei jumped back off the wall, exhausted. "It's a sea of lava in there, I'm sure the beast is-"

A large crack sounded out, quickly followed by three others. Each crack resulted in one of the massive earthen walls crumbling away. Lava flooded out into the sand dunes around them as they fled away from it. Many of the Iwa ninja who were too exhausted to move after their combined technique were caught by the lava and died agonizing deaths.

Mei lowered her head and apologized to the dying men and women.

Menma turned to Sasuke and Itachi. "You guys want to try something fun? I know Sasuke hasn't done it yet, but I'm wondering if you've tried, Itachi."

Itachi turned a blank look to him. "Tried what?"

"You'll see," Menma grinned and turned to shout at Temari. "Hey, Suna girl! You're a wind element, right? Come here!"

Both Temari and the Suna kunoichi made their way over. "We're both Suna girls and both wind element, what do you want?" Temari asked, annoyed.

"Well that works fine. You both want to be a part of the biggest fire technique in history?"

The two women looked and each other and shrugged. "Sure. What do we do?"

Menma turned around to face Itachi and Sasuke and activated his Mangekyō. "We'll use our strongest fire attack, you boost it."

The two Uchiha immediately understood and activated theirs as well. The three of them stepped forward beyond the rest of the group and with a combined cry of "Amaterasu!" sent a massive black fireball at the creature.

The two girls both used their strongest wind attacks to boost the fireball even further. The other members of the group all looked on in shock at the fireball that was now the size of the Jūbi itself.

The beast wrapped itself in its tails just before the fireball hit it and exploded, raining black fire across the desert. After the fireball was gone the beast flicked it's tails outward and roared, knocking the group off their feet.

As the group staggered to stand they saw the creature bringing each tail to its head where the fires seemed to disappear. After the fires were all gone from the creature it looked down at the group and growled.

"I think all we did was piss it off," Sasuke said.

The group gathered up and looked out at what their attacks had done so far. Behind the creature was a lake made of lava that was slowly cooling and all around it was a massive black fire. Neither of the attacks had seemed to really phase the creature or had slowed it down at all.

"This... isn't going very well," Jiraiya said with a frown. He turned to Tsunade. "Our turn?"

Tsunade nodded and the two of them used their summons. The rest of the group fell back so that the two wouldn't have to fight the beast among the black flames. They all gave each other awkward smiles at hearing Gamabunta curse Jiraiya for summoning him in the desert, while Tsunade and Lady Katsuyu were pleasant to each other.

The two summons were able to hold the beast back for a couple of minutes before they were forced to dispel due to injuries. The two Sannin jumped back and let the Kumo group make their attempt. It didn't slow the creature down either.

As the group fell back once again they had reached visual range of Suna. A messenger arrived soon after. "You're letting it get too close! We're not ready!"

"There's nothing we can do to stop it, damn it! Evacuate the city!" Tsunade ordered him. The messenger quickly ran off to inform Gaara.

Menma approached her and Jiraiya. "If you distract Honoka-sensei I can stall it. Remember though, that she's immortal. Don't waste your time trying to kill her, just keep her busy."

Forgettable-Iwa, who had been close enough to hear them talking jumped forward. "Do not fear, everyone! I - - will distract that vile woman!" The wind happened to carry his voice away from all of them the moment he spoke his name. He rushed forward to attack.

Two Iwa ninja that were nearby looked at each other.

"Who was that?" The first one asked.

The second one frowned and squinted at Forgettable-Iwa as he charged. "I don't know, but he kinda looks like that guy we voted to lead us, doesn't he?"

The first looked closer. "Hey, you're right. What was his name again?"

The second rubbed his head. "I don't know, I couldn't hear-"

Tsunade who had finally noticed him rushing the enemy shouted at him. "Forgettable-Iwa, no!"

'Yes! This is it! I'll be a hero and my name will be forever etched into history! Parents will tell their children stories of my bravery for eons!' The man jumped, 'Everyone will finally know the name of-' only to be swatted down and stepped on.

"You... can't." Tsunade trailed off at watching the man get crushed.

She frowned and turned to Jiraiya. "Come on, pervert. Let's deal with her before anyone else tries to be a hero."

"Right. I'll get her off of there, you just be ready," Jiraiya said as he summoned another toad. "Ok, Ken-san, there's a lady up on top of that thing's head and I need to get her off of there. Go ahead and smack that monster around for a bit then aim for the head, I'll take care of the rest."

Gamaken smacked the beast with his sasumata a few times before aiming for the head. Jiraiya snuck out on the end of the weapon and launched himself at Honoka as it swung past, tackling her off the head of the creature.

As then flew through the air and landed on the sand Jiraiya got a few gropes in. "Not bad," he said with a lecherous grin. "Maybe we coul-"

She violently kicked him in the groin before hurling him away from her with Shinra Tensei.

Tsunade just shook her head. "Pervert deserved it." She then rushed at Honoka.

Back with the Jūbi, Menma stood in front of the rest of the forces. He raised both of his hands towards the beast and focused.

The others looked at him confused before he muttered "Shinra Tensei." and the beast slid back a few feet before digging down beneath the sand to stop its backwards movement. With a growl it slowly began moving forward again, slamming each limb down into the earth beneath the sand as it moved.

Menma grit his teeth and pumped more chakra into the technique. The beast ground through the earth as it slid backwards again. This time it lowered its body and opened its mouth. An orb started to form and Menma cursed. "Get behind me!" He pumped more and more chakra into the technique pushing the beast further and further back as it continued to mix chakra.

Jiraiya and Tsunade saw what the Jūbi was doing and disengaged Honoka. They made their way over and arrived behind Menma just as the beast fired.

Menma grunted and angled his hands. The beam that tore through the air towards them left a deep trench in the earth. As it hit Menma's angled Shinra Tensei it shot up into the air. When the beam ended Menma collapsed to the ground panting.

"That's... all I can... do..." he gasped out before losing consciousness.

Tsunade quickly picked him up and turned to the others. "Fall back! We've done all we can."

The group turned and fled back to Suna. With how far back Menma had pushed the creature and how it seemed to lazily move forward again they had bought a few hours of time.

All it cost them was forever altering the southeastern desert of Suna into glass and the lives of most of the Iwa ninja that had joined the group.

* * *

(Suna)

It was sunset that same day when Menma awoke in a hospital room. Tayuya had been sitting in a chair nearby and stepped out for a minute when Tsunade walked in.

"Glad to see you're alright, brat. That was quite the show."

Menma silently looked out the window. The Jūbi could be seen in the distance. It was nearly at the city and would no doubt attack soon. "They won't be able to stop it," he said quietly.

Tsunade looked out the window at the gathering forces. "No, they won't."

Tayuya returned but paused as she heard a woman's voice. She listened in to the conversation. 'If that shithead is seeing another woman, I swear to god...'

"I can," he continued. "I'll have to return to Konoha, and it will take me time to prepare... but, by the time it arrives there, I should be ready."

Tsunade studied the side of his face as he looked out the window. 'Like father like son?' She sighed. "Are you sure?"

Menma nodded.

Tsunade stared at him silently before turning and heading for the door. "We'll try to buy you more time."

Menma waited for her to leave before slowly getting out of bed. With a grunt he stood and used Kamui. He felt something slam into his back and wrap around him just before he vanished.

* * *

(Konoha - Menma's apartment)

Menma staggered as he appeared in his apartment. He looked down to find arms wrapped around him.

"You're planning something stupid, aren't you, shithead?"

"Tayuya? I don't know what you're talking about," he said as he turned in her arms to face her.

"Don't lie to me! You have the same look on your face as you did when you faced Orochimaru!" She buried her face in his chest. "You're... going to win this one too... right?"

"Don't worry. I'll stop her, and the Jūbi."

Tayuya looked up at him. "How long will it take you to prepare?"

"Honestly, it's mostly just resting to recover my chakra. I'll need all the chakra I can get for what I'm going to do," Menma replied.

Tayuya studied his eyes for a bit before pulling him to the bed. The two spent the night together in the bed, though neither of them slept.

* * *

End Chapter 29

A/N:

Next chapter will be the finale.


	31. Miasma 5

**serialkeller: **That they did.

**AAG: **Yeah, some of them have felt off to me even. Sometimes the chapters just don't want to be written, sometimes they come fairly easy. Hopefully this final chapter is good enough for people.

**Foxstar: **You'll just have to read to find out.

* * *

**Chapter 30**

_(Konoha)_

Three days had passed since Menma returned. Surprisingly the civilians evacuated from Suna had arrived that day. Three days, a pace normally only achieved by ninja. Perhaps it was their fear that drove them to such speeds.

When the allied force had originally left for Suna they had left roughly half of their ninja behind to police the village. Each day more of those that were left behind were called out.

Few of them ever returned.

* * *

_(Suna - Near Konoha Border)_

"It's troublesome, but all we can do now is delay it," Shikamaru said.

"But what they're doing is suicide!" Chōji shouted.

As the trio watched a group of Akimichi grew to gigantic proportions and latched on to the beast, pulling it back into the desert and away from Fire Country. The beast's corrosive aura was decaying their bodies as they dragged it away. When one would fall, he would be quickly replaced with another. Chōji's father, Chōza was in front of the beast, pushing it back by the shoulders.

Shikamaru frowned and adopted his thinking pose. The moment he closed his eyes he heard a cry of "Father!" as Chōji dropped down from the cliff they were on and raced forward. He jerked his eyes open to find Chōza had been bitten by the creature. They could see his strength finally beginning to fail as he decayed from the legs up as well as the neck down. The rest of the clan members that had been helping had all succumbed, allowing the beast to make its way forward again.

"Chōji! Damn it!" Shikamaru was unable to latch on to his friend with his shadow and stop him from doing anything stupid. He and Ino jumped down the cliff after him. Shortly after a gigantic Chōji slammed into the beast right next to his father, causing it to stagger back.

"You... shouldn't be here..." Chōza gasped out.

Chōji turned and opened his mouth to speak but instead coughed up blood. Looking down he saw one of the beasts tails piercing his heart. He collapsed without being able to respond to his father. Chōza collapsed right after him, the strain of the corrosive aura and his son's death too much for him.

As he collapsed countless shadows flew out and latched onto the Jūbi. Shikamaru and Ino stood at the base of the cliff stunned. "Chōji..." Shikamaru said in shock.

Shikamaru grit his teeth and again took his thinking pose. As the shadows from the Nara clan bound the creature the members of the Yamanaka clan tried to invade either the creature's mind, or the woman's standing on top. Neither would work. They were both too alien for even Inoichi to invade. They cursed their uselessness.

The Jūbi seemed to become annoyed that it was being constantly restrained and pushed back. Taking a moment to seemingly inhale it let loose a roar that blew everyone off their feet. The ranks of Nara and Yamanaka were broken from the roar. Ino and Shikamaru were blasted backwards into the cliff behind them.

After the dust cleared Shikamaru groaned and propped himself on arms. Looking around he found Ino laying nearby with a growing puddle beneath her. Ignoring the pain he crawled over to her.

"Shi..ka..." Ino said, blood flowing from her mouth.

Shikamaru looked her over and silently cursed. She needed immediate medical attention. Gathering her up in his arms he tried to stand. "I'll find a medic right awa-aagh!" he collapsed as soon as he stood, the previously broken bone in his leg tearing through the muscle and skin.

"Sor...ry..." Ino managed to say before the light faded from her eyes.

"Ino! INO!" When he checked and found no pulse he quietly laid her back down. "Goodbye... you troublesome woman," he turned his head to look out to where his other friend fell, tears streaming down his face. "Goodbye... Chōji."

* * *

_(Konoha)_

It was late at night and Menma was taking a walk. He walked through the previously abandoned sections of the village that now house civilians and still some ninja from around the Elemental Nations. He had spent much of the day watching the people. Just a few short weeks ago these people had been bitter enemies. Most of them would have happily watched the others die.

It was only now that the world was ending that they came together.

Menma's walk had taken him to a place he didn't know of. It was a fairly good sized clearing in the woods with a pond. As he approached he caught sight of the moon hanging in the sky. He stopped as he reached the edge of the pond and stared up at the moon.

'_Nearly full. How much longer? One day? Two?'_

He brought his gaze down to his reflection in the pond. His long shaggy black hair covering his Rinnegan eye. If he were wearing armor and still carrying that giant fan he would look just like Madara.

He thought back on what Honoka had told him about her past and how she met Madara.

'_He was the one that set all of this in motion. He started it all, and now Honoka-sensei wants to end it all.' _He suddenly didn't like the fact that he resembled that man and came to a decision.

Tomorrow he was getting a haircut.

He hurried back to his apartment. He had slept with Tayuya again that night and she would worry if she woke up and he was missing.

* * *

_(Fire Country)_

The Aburame clan had been breeding their insects to resist demonic chakra since Kurama attacked the village all those years ago and they were ready to test them out.

The Nara that hadn't died from the roar or from the flying debris it caused had returned to bind the creature again.

In an effort to reduce casualties and find out if the insects worked, all Hyūga were taught the Hakkeshō Kaiten and stationed with the Nara and Aburame members.

With how many of the Nara had been killed they couldn't do much more than slow the creature down, but it was enough. As the insects started to pile on to the creature, Honoka flew up into the air, watching. Any insects that came for her were quickly blasted away.

When the beast was fully covered in the insects it screeched in pain before wrapping itself up in its tails, creating a cocoon. Shortly after the insects all died as the cocoon quickly filled with the beasts corrosive aura. Everything began silent for a few moments, leaving everyone on edge.

When the Jūbi yanked its tails out of the way it shot a beam towards the gathered ninja. It started to its left and swept across the field destroying everyone. Some of the later Hyūga to be hit attempted to block it with Kaiten, but the beam popped their rotations like bubbles. Everyone caught within the beam was vaporized, leaving nothing behind.

Behind the wave of destruction stood Gaara. He glared up at the beast. It had waltzed through their defenses at Suna like they didn't even exist. His home was gone, and it was time for some payback. He had moved closer to Konoha and had spent every second waiting for the beast and grinding sand.

When the beast reached the point where he had been grinding sand the earth beneath it crumbled and revealed a giant sand trap. As the beast sank into the sand a giant tsunami appeared in front of Gaara and crashed down on the beast. When it was completely submerged in sand he clenched his fist to crush the creature.

Instead he felt something ominous rushing through his sand towards him. At the last second his gourd was cut off and he was snatched away from it by the Mizukage. The sand had all turned a sickly black color, like the miasma that poured off the beast.

"Are you alright?" Mei asked him, getting a nod in return. The two of them quickly fell back to the next defensive line.

* * *

_(Konoha)_

It was late once again. Menma had gotten his hair cut that day. He had decided to go with a hairstyle similar to his fathers, and was amused by the odd reactions he received to the Rinnegan eye that was no longer covered.

He had spent the last several hours cleaning up his desk. Rolling up, tying, and replacing all the scrolls he had on it. There was no real reason behind it, he just wanted to keep his hands busy, as he had finished his preparations earlier.

A moan from the bed pulled his attention to the naked girl. She had apparently kicked off the covers sometime during her sleep. He smiled before walking over to the bed. After pulling the covers back up and giving her a kiss on the forehead he moved to the window.

He looked up at the moon again. '_Not quite there yet. Probably... tomorrow.' _

He felt guilty. How many people were out there fighting and dying because he was being indecisive? His plans were all made and ready, so why did he hesitate? He frowned. He knew why. Even if they weren't related by blood. Even if she wanted to destroy everything. She had been the first one there for him. She had raised him.

The only way to end this nightmare was to kill his own mother.

* * *

_(Fire Country - 1 day from Konoha)_

Jiraiya had decided to join in the Inuzuka's defense line, despite Tsunade's protests.

"Let's show this thing what Inuzuka are made of!" Roared out Tsume.

The rest of her clan also roared out before they all transformed into giant multi-headed dogs with their canine partners.

Jiraiya summoned Gamabunta and stood on his head. "This is our last stand, 'Bunta. Let's show them what toads can do."

The toad grunted and placed a hand on his tantō. The two followed as the Inuzuka members became giant drills and flew towards the Jūbi.

These too seemed to be effective as the beast screeched and flailed with each drill and sword strike. The group was warily watching the tails to see if it would try to cocoon itself again. They were so focused on the tails that they didn't bother with what they assumed to be blood landing on them. The beast seemed to be twisting and turning with each hit to make sure the attacker was sprayed with it.

It wasn't until they started feeling sick that they realized their mistake. Resigning themselves to their fate they decided to attack in one large final push, driving the creature back before they all fell.

The survivors turned to flee but were confused to see the Uchiha brothers step forward with looks of grim determination on their faces.

"Avoid that blood," Itachi told his younger brother.

"I know."

Giant yellow and violet man-like constructs formed around the two.

"I'll support you from here," Sasuke said. Itachi nodded and moved into melee range.

Sasuke's Susanoo began firing arrows at the beast. The first couple of arrows it simply tried to block with tails, but they were pierced, causing the beast to shriek. It then changed to knocking the arrows to the ground when they came within range.

When Itachi closed in the beast tried maneuvering Itachi into Sasuke's line of sight to prevent the arrows. It partially succeeded, allowing it to devote some tails to blocking and parrying Itachi's strikes.

When Itachi managed to cut off one of its tails the beast screeched and latched on to his Susanoo with all of its remaining tails, pulling him in front to block Sasuke's arrows. While he was being used as a shield the beast pummeled his Susanoo with its arms and started charging up an attack. As it neared completion it hurled Itachi and his Susanoo out of the way and fired at Sasuke.

Sasuke brought up the shield to block the attack but found Itachi had managed to get in front of him in time to block the attack. Sasuke stood stunned for a moment before grabbing him and hurling him aside, but the damage had already been mostly absorbed. The beam had destroyed Itachi's Susanoo and only did minimal damage to Sasuke.

Dispelling Susanoo he rushed over to Itachi to find him barely alive. When he was tossed aside the beam had broken through his Susanoo and destroyed the lower half of his body.

"It's... up to you now... to create a new... Uchiha..." with those words Itachi passed away.

The call to retreat was sounded.

The final defense had been broken.

The Jūbi's path to Konoha was clear.

* * *

_(Konoha - 1 day later)_

Menma sat at his desk, cleaning up the last scrolls. Only two remained. He looked at the one he was holding. It was a scroll on the bijū and jinchūriki.

'_Human sacrifice, huh?'_ he rolled up the scroll, tied it securely and dropped it back onto the desk.

He picked up the last scroll and shook his head. '_A sign maybe?'_ He tied it as he stood from the desk and tossed it down as he walked over to the window before jumping out.

Had he been paying attention the string might have been tied properly and kept the scroll shut. Instead, it came undone and the scroll slowly unfurled.

Menma moved up the side of his apartment building and sat on the roof. As he glanced around he noticed several exhausted and defeated looking ninja arriving in the village. He glanced up and could see the Jūbi approaching in the distance.

He glanced up at the moon. '_Figures it would arrive when the moon was full.'_

He turned his gaze to the Hokage Monument, specifically his father's face. With a sigh he stood.  
Sacrifice had worked in the past, why shouldn't it now?

"I just hope they put me on the Memorial Stone."

He dropped inside and gave the sleeping Tayuya a kiss. "Goodbye."

He quickly gathered up what he would need and teleported away. He never noticed the tears on Tayuya's cheeks.

* * *

_(Jūbi's Head)_

"So, you've finally come," Honoka said without turning to face him.

"I have."

"And? Have you made your choice?" She turned to face him.

Menma nodded. "I have," he paused. "I'll join you."

Honoka's face broke out into a smile and she walked forward to wrap him in a hug. "I knew you wouldn't leave me alone."

Menma nodded and wrapped his arms around her... and placed an improved paralysis seal on her lower back. He stood back and looked at her.

"I'm sorry," he frowned. "But you're right. This is a one-way ticket for both of us. We'll be together forever."

He placed a hand on her and teleported the two of them away before turning to face the Jūbi.

He brought his hands together and focused his energy until he had an orb the size of a melon between them. After releasing it he muttered out "Chibaku Tensei." and slammed his hands together.

"No! Why are you doing this?!" Honoka cried out.

Menma watched on impassively as the Jūbi, standing around confused without it's controller, was immediately sucked up towards the sphere. "Because the world doesn't need people like us anymore."

"That's why we should destroy it!" She shrieked.

"Is that the only option? Besides, with the damage you've already caused people will have a tough time just surviving after this."

"W-what?" Honoka asked confused.

"Just because it rejected us, do we have to destroy it? Why not just leave it?" He frowned, this was draining a lot more chakra than he had anticipated.

Honoka who's paralysis was beginning to wear off just looked at him. "We... can we leave?"

He looked back and gave her a sad smile. "I told you already, one-way ticket."

"Why is it one-way?"

He turned back to the moon in creation. "It's one-way because you don't have the ability and with how much chakra this is taking, it'll kill me."

"You would go so far for them?"

Menma nodded. "I told you before that I had people that acknowledged me. It's never been that many, but I only ever needed just the one. Everyone else was a bonus."

"Then why are you letting me live? I've caused them pain and suffering!"

"Because you were the one. I always thought of you as my mother. What kind of son would I be if I killed you? Although, to be fair, I will be sealing you in a dimension by yourself with the Jūbi. That's not really any better."

Honoka stared at him. "You're really not going to kill me?"

"Nope. I don't think time passes in there either, so you'll live forever. A present for raising me, I guess." The moon completed and he staggered before dropping to a knee. He took a few moments to catch his breath before placing a hand on her and teleporting the two of them on top of the moon.

Menma took a moment to gaze down at the village. He could make out all the people staring up at the moon.

Honoka remained motionless like the seal was still working as she studied him. '_He would really go so far as to sacrifice himself for me?'_

Menma turned and walked over behind her before crouching. He placed one hand on the moon and the other on her foot. "I just... wanted to say thank you. Thank you for feeding me that night, for caring. Thank you... for raising me... mom."

He focused all of his chakra into his next technique. A distortion appeared on the far side of the moon that appeared to be a vortex. It slowly enveloped the moon as more and more of Menma's chakra was fed into it. When the vortex reached about a quarter of the moon Menma began breathing irregularly, blood trickling down his nose.

Honoka looked down at him. '_Mother? He...'_

The seal on his left forearm broke. Kurama's chakra flooded into him and the vortex reached three-quarters.

'_Can I really just let him do this? He... he was the first to acknowledge me too.'_

The vortex slowed and nearly stopped. Blood started trickling from his other nostril and his breathing turned into panting. '_It's not enough. Shit.' _Menma grit his teeth. His vision blurred and darkened. Just then he felt chakra flowing into him from his shoulder. He jerked his head up to find Honoka's hand on his shoulder and tears streaming down her face.

"What kind of mother would I be if I let my son sacrifice himself alone?"

Her raven hair turned white as she withered and aged before his darkening vision. Just before he collapsed the vortex consumed the moon and they were gone.

* * *

_(Konoha)_

The entire village had witnessed the Jūbi sealed up into the new moon before it vanished. Tsunade had sent Kakashi to Menma's apartment immediately that same night to tell him whatever his plan was that it worked.

All he found was an unresponsive Tayuya staring lifelessly out the window at the moon that had been created and vanished.

It wasn't very hard for them to put the pieces together. Tsunade had spread news to the village the next day. She revealed Menma's heritage and how he had defeated the Jūbi.

Namikaze Naruto, along with his mother, Namikaze-Uzumaki Kushina, were buried next his father the following day. The Namikaze name would become renowned as the greatest family of heroes to grace the village and even the Elemental Nations within a week.

Konoha had survived. The Elemental Nations had survived. With the Fire Country being the only untainted land and the numbers that had died during the Jūbi's trek across the land, life would be difficult for many years to come. People would have to work together just to survive. But there was a silver-lining to it all.

There were no more countries to wage wars against each other. Everyone was gathered in a single country, a single village. Everyone shared the same pain. Everyone had lost friends and family. There were no more bijū to fight over or against. Ninja turned their jutsu from destructive powers to constructive. Water and earth to help grow crops. Fire to clean out tainted forests. Lightning and wind for power generation.

It wouldn't be long before Fire Country and Konoha were renamed by its new unified people. They had come together and broken the cycle.

They had a bright new future ahead of them. A future where their children wouldn't know war. A future where they would no longer maim and kill. A future where they worked with their neighbors instead of against them. A future of peace.

A future without hatred.

* * *

_**~Fin~**_

**A/N:**

If people are interested enough I'll do a short epilogue. Tell you which characters all died, which survived, what they're doing, and all that. Otherwise you can imagine whatever you want for them and this story is officially over.

As I've said numerous times in notes and reviews over the course of this story, this was my first time writing. I've got an idea of some of my flaws that I need to work on now, but still, please review. If you can point anything out that I can work on, it'll help me improve.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. (At least certain parts. I liked Wave, that was fun. I felt I sucked it up on some of the other arcs.)

I'm still on the fence about writing anything else. I have a few other ideas, but none of them are really fleshed out well enough yet. I _might_ post what I have on my profile in case people want to see them. If they want me to try writing them, or want to take them on themselves as a challenge or something.

I started this story out at a quick pace and decided I wanted to keep that pace up. Some of the chapters of the story suffered because of it. So, any future stories I write won't be updated nearly as often as this one was. I'll only post chapters once I feel they are done, which could lead to big gaps between them.

And a little something extra for those that actually take the time to read the notes and followed through to the end...

X-X-X

X-X-X

X-X-X

X-X-X

X-X-X

* * *

Two weeks had passed. Kakashi had taken it upon himself to look after Tayuya. He would stop by every few days to make sure she was eating properly and try to convince her to leave the apartment once in a while. When he arrived, it was the same as every other day so far.

Tayuya sat by the window, staring out with soulless glassy eyes.

Kakashi frowned and sat in the chair at the desk. "So, feel like going out? We can get ramen. You know... since his..." He frowned, bad choice. "How about some some music?"

Tayuya remained unresponsive.

He sighed and looked over at the desk. All but one of the scrolls had been rolled up and neatly stored. The one that remained was open and laying out where anyone could see it. He pulled the scroll over to him and looked it over curiously. It was a scroll with a technique on it.

"Kamui, huh?"


	32. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

_(Forest behind the old Hokage Monument)_

It had been nine months since the Jūbi's defeat.

Kakashi stood in a clearing in the woods. Everything was ready. He'd stopped by the Memorial Stone and explained everything to the departed. He had informed Tsunade and the Council what he was planning and what he hoped would happen. All that was left was to follow through.

"I hope this works," he muttered, lifting the headband blocking his eye.

He concentrated and vanished in a whirl of distortion.

* * *

_(Hyūga District)_

"Hinata-sama, you sent for me?" Neji said, upon entering the office.

Hinata turned around with a severe look on her face and held up her hands as though to perform the hand sign to invoke his seal.

"W-what?" Neji stammered out confused.

Hinata's face broke into a grin as she giggled. She took a few moments to compose herself before holding up a scroll to show a seal on it. "The counter seal to remove the Caged Bird seal."

"You finally managed to make it? We're... free?"

She gave him a gentle smile. "Yes, Neji, the branch family is free."

The moment Hinata had become the head of the Hyūga clan she had abolished the use of the seal. Children born from then on no longer had to fear the Caged Bird seal, but those already born were another matter. Their ancestors had never created a way to remove it, so it had taken time to break it down and figure out how to remove it.

"Let's get this spread to the branch members," she continued. In a few short hours the Hyūga clan would finally be free of that dark seal.

* * *

_(Grassy Hill)_

CLANG

"Ouch! Damn it, what is it with troublesome women and hitting me with metal objects?"

"What the hell did you just say?!" The woman ground out, holding her giant fan up for another strike.

"I said, hello Temari, what brings you out here?" Shikamaru said, sweating.

"Oh, you know, just that DATE we're supposed to be on right now!"

"Ah, right, that... I have a reservation," he said, laying back down.

Temari glared at him. "You said you would pick me up an hour ago. I doubt it's still good."

"Only an hour? Then we're still ok," he said patting the grass next to him. "Relax and watch the clouds with me for a bit. We've still got time."

Temari huffed but still sat down next to him to look up at the sky.

* * *

_(Laboratory)_

"We got a new sample in," the redhead said as Sakura entered for her daily shift.

"Kimimaro and Jūgo again?" Sakura asked her as she moved over to the table Karin was working at. "Those two work fast."

"Mhmm, from Sector 1."

"One? Old Iwa?"

"Mhmm," she said, stepping aside. "Take a look."

Sakura stepped forward to look at the sample they had received. After studying it for a moment she gasped. "It's breaking down!"

Karin pushed her glasses up. "Of course it is. You didn't think I couldn't beat this, did you?"

"But... this... we'll be able to expand! We won't have to worry so much anymore! Will it work on all of it? How long will it take?" She blurted out in rapid succession.

"It will take awhile. Ten years or so probably, and it seems each area's miasma is a bit different, but since we've already got our start here it shouldn't take us long to break down the others."

Sakura seemed to droop a bit at the number. "Ten years... still, I guess it won't be so bad. We'll just have to keep the population control laws in effect for a bit."

Karin looked over at her. "Speaking of children... what was his name? Neji? If you two get serious..."

"K-karin! We've just started dating!"

"Pink hair and white eyes? It's a good thing we're not fighting anymore, that would make a terrible combination for a ninja. How do you two even get along? He's all proper and you're... you."

"Karin..." Sakura growled out.

"Does he Jūken you when you get out of control?"

"SHUT UP!" The pinkette raged, throwing and smashing things as Karin ducked out of the room with a smirk.

* * *

_(?)_

Kakashi found himself in a void. He looked around curiously. Yep, void. Black everywhere. No sky or land, just void. He looked up to find the moon that obviously held the Jūbi.

Turning his gaze down he found endless floating squares of all shapes and sizes in the void. On one of the squares in the distance he saw an unusual lump on it.

After making his way to the square he found it was two people. One was an old woman. Withered and white-haired. Her skin was dry when he checked for a pulse.

Nothing.

He looked at the other anxiously. It wasn't old or withered like the woman but it was just lying there like she was. He checked for a pulse.

…

…

Just as he was about to give up and pull his hand away he felt it. '_There! It's faint, but he's still alive!' _He looked at the boy with his Sharingan. His chakra was so low he should be dead. Kakashi quickly pulled out a pill and popped it into the boy's mouth, massaging his throat until he swallowed it.

It took some time but eventually the boy woke up and sat up groggily. He glanced down at the woman next to him.

"She's dead," Kakashi told him. "We should get you home. There are people that will be glad to see you. Especially since you've been gone about _nine months_ now."

He nodded. "I'd like to bury her first."

"You sure? I mean it has been _nine months_. Isn't there anyone you'd like to see?"

"Why do you keep stressing how long I've been gone?"

Kakashi casually pulled out his little orange book. "Oh, I don't know. How long did it take you to prepare this? You must have had _some_ free time, right? You spend any time with Tayuya?"

'_Yeah, I had free time. But you could be some damn help and tell me instead of reading your-' _He blinked as he looked at the book in Kakashi's hand. "Oh shit."

Kakashi grinned and placed a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

_(Hospital)_

Sasuke was walking calmly through the halls as he headed for the room. He had spent a great deal of thought on this. If it turned out the way he hoped it would, he would have new family.

Finally he reached the room she was in and reached for the handle to enter.

"Aaaaagh! I'm too young for this! That shithead did this on purpose!"

Maybe he would stay outside for a bit.

"I'm going to rip the dick off the next man I see!"

Definitely staying outside for a bit.

He waited patiently as the cursing and screaming continued for some time. Eventually it stopped and he heard the sound of an infant crying. He waited until the nurses informed him it was ok to enter and found Tayuya holding a newborn.

The baby had some fuzz the color of Tayuya's hair. One of the eyes was brown, just like Tayuya's. The other was black, just like _His._

Sasuke smiled and pulled out some paperwork.

"The hell is that?" Tayuya asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"She's got the Sharingan. These are forms to become an Uchiha. They just need your signature."

"Find your own damn woman, she's mine," a voice cut in from the door.

Sasuke whipped around as Tayuya's head jerked towards the door. The papers fell from Sasuke's hand as he stared in shock. Standing there was a haggard Menma, supported by Kakashi.

"Yo. Sorry I'm late, Kakashi-sensei took his sweet time picking me up." He pulled himself off Kakashi's shoulder and hobbled over to Tayuya's side.

She looked up at him with a bright smile and tears in her eyes. "Say hello to your daughter, shithead."


End file.
